YES ( was: Did Snape "murder" Dumbledore?)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 138174





juli17 at a... wrote:

> I am still convinced that we  really
> do not know if Snape murdered Dumbledore. 
 
Eggplant replied:

If you were a novelist and you wanted one of your  characters to get
murdered what more could you have done than what JKR did in  HBP to
convince readers that the character has indeed been  murdered?



Julie now:
Matt touched on the main points. Speaking specifically of  JKR
and HBP, if she wanted it to be perfectly clear that  Snape 
murdered DD and was undeniably evil, she would have  written
the scene that way. I.e., Dumbledore wouldn't have  begged
Snape, he would have spoken his disappointment.  Snape
would have taken the opportunity to gloat (one of his  favorite
pastimes) along the lines of "You pathetic old man, you  made
it so easy for me...etc." Snape would have AKed DD with  no
hesitation, with a flourish no doubt. Snape would never  have
let the opportunity to torture Harry with a crucio or two  pass,
let alone stop another DE from doing it. Snape would  have
really taunted Harry, not with semi-lessons included, but  in
full nasty mode. Snape would have incapacitated Harry  after a
fulfilling bit of torture and taken him to  Voldemort--or at least
attempted to do so. For good measure, Snape would have 
thrown a few nasty spells around at the likes of  Hermoine,
Luna, and Flitwick. And he wouldn't have just slunk out  of
Hogwarts, he would have left some serious destruction 
behind. Oh, and finally, when Harry found DD at the  bottom
of the Tower his eyes would be open with an expression  of
horror--as if he'd been struck by a true AK. 
 
That's how JKR could have written it if she wanted  to leave
NO doubts about Snape's loyalties, and wanted us  to know in 
every sense that Snape murdered DD. But she didn't. She  very
*deliberately* planted doubts by having Snape and DD  behave
uncharacteristically and inconsistently. In Book 7, JKR  will
have to explain those inconsistencies. She may well  explain
them in a way that reveals an ESE!Snape, or she may  explain
them in a way that reveals a DumbledoresMan!Snape, or  even
an OutforHimself!Snape. But until we get the  explanation--the
reasons behind those deliberate inconsistencies--then  any
of the three Snapes is a possible outcome. 
 
Can I also add that no one who supports any of the three 
Snapes (or another version not listed above) is stupid, deluded, 
or misreading canon. We are  each simply using the few facts 
available to formulate the  theory we think best fits the story, 
and--let's be VERY honest here--the theory that supports the
Snape we most *want* to see revealed. 
 
So, I want DumbledoresMan!Snape, Eggplant wants  ESE!Snape,
Lupinlore wants OutforHimself!Snape, etc. The only  important
question, which won't be answered until Book 7, is  which Snape
does JKR want?
 
Julie 

 


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