The "Tries-to-be-good-but-fails!Snape" Theory

[rachaelmcadams]

No: HPFGUIDX 137827

I keep reading all the Snape theories and I thought it was about to 
post my own. It's not an ESE!Snape theory or a Good!Snape theory, 
it's more along the lines of Snape-tried-to-be-good-but-wasn't-brave-
enough theory.

So here I go...
I think that Snape did honestly feel remorse and want to leave the 
Death Eaters and join the good side during the first war.  I don't 
know whether DDD really gave Harry the full reason behind it, but I 
think it was what Snape honestly felt, so DD was not a fool.
 
The reason Snape never hurt Harry (during the 6 years in which he had 
easy access) was because he was on the side of good and he planned to 
stay that way.  And when he was became the spy for both sides, he 
still was really with the Order of the Phoenix. 
 
But then the Unbreakable vow came up. I think Snape actually does 
care about Draco and Narcissa, and when she asked him to make the vow 
to watch over Draco, he agreed.  Then she added the 3rd part (kill DD 
if Draco can't), and it was too late to back out.  So, then he told 
Dumbledore about the plan of Draco trying to kill Dumbledore this 
year, but he left out the vow. Not because he was ESE, but because he 
was too ashamed to admit what he had done.
 
The year goes by.
 
Finally, he runs into the Astronomy Tower and there's Draco holding 
out his wand, the other Death Eaters saying he's not able to do it, 
so Snape has a choice.  Either (1) he kills Dumbledore or (2) he 
doesn't and openly shows which side he's on, and dies himself because 
he breaks the vow.  And, as he rationalizes it, Dumbledore would die 
either way.  So he kills him and justifies it with the idea that DD 
would die anyway, and this way, at least they both don't die. 
 
Aside: As for DD's pleading, I think DD was pleading more for Snape's 
soul than his own life.  It was more of a "Severus please... don't 
let me have been wrong about you" or "...don't do this - you're 
better than that." 
 
So, when Harry attacks him, he doesn't kill him because he feels 
remorse about what he did - he killed the one person that believed 
the best of him, that always trusted him, and loved him 
unconditionally.  And when Harry calls him a coward, he gets really 
upset because it's true.  He was too much of a coward to die for DD 
(as DD would have done for him).
 
As for Snape's future, I think in the next book, he will definitely 
do something big to redeem himself, and then die.

With this view, Snape is not completely evil a la Voldemort, but he's 
no saint either. He's just too cowardly to die for someone else.

Rachael