Snape isn't evil

[wisdominolympia]

No: HPFGUIDX 143823

Lucianam: <snip> 
> Only one Huge Thing stands in the way of Snape's warning the 
> Order proving he's good: why didn't Voldemort punish him 
> heavily for ruining the Prophecy mission? Voldemort must have 
> had reasons to believe Snape's actions were acceptable. If 
> Voldemort didn't question Snape's loyalty as a DE because he 
> warned the Order, why should we believe the only explanation 
> for Snape's doing so is his being loyal to Dumbledore?

-----

I think that we are seeing Snape pulled in two directions.  He 
is/was a DE, yet he maintains his loyalty to DD.  In GoF we see 
at the end that two DE are missing, Snape and Karakof.  Yet in 
it is Karakof who ends up dead in OoTP.  So, we know that Snape 
has told Bellatrix in HBP that Voldemort has questioned Snape 
(chapter 2, pg 26 hardcover).  He asks Bellatrix, "Do you think 
he is mistaken?...the most accomplished Legilimens...?"  And LV 
found his answers satifactory.

I think it is important to point out that Bellatrix is a fanatic.  She believes with her whole heart that LV is back for good, that 
he is unstoppable, and very powerful.  Snape knows this and is 
playing off of this.  He also tells her to take his words back to 
those like her, who are talking about him.  I feel that this is 
important because Bellatrix is the one person in the series who 
didn't turn tail and run, she brings up her time in Azkaban.  

I wonder if Snape is just as accomplished in Legilimens as LV or 
DD.  If you can control your mind shouldn't you be able to control 
what people see if they look in?  What if *big if here* Snape was 
able to let LV see what he wanted him to see.  The would allow 
Snape to manuver his way around with out getting busted.  

When I read OoTP one thing that made me wonder about Snape was 
that if he was truly loyal to LV why did he warn the Order in time 
to get the MoM.  It would have been easy to delay the message, but 
in OoTP in Chapter 37, DD tells Harry that when he didn't return 
from the forest in a timely manner he alerted the members of the 
order.  Snape had to know that Harry would smash the prophecy, 
anything to keep it out of Voldemort's hands.

So, back to why didn't LV punish Snape.  I think that it is 
because of the fact that several adult wizards, including 
Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy were bested by a bunch of children.  
Yes, they did have help in the end from the Order, but seriously, 
which is the worse trangression?  Alerting the other side what 
you are doing or letting a group of students thwart you?  I think 
LV looked at what happened and blamed Bellatrix and Lucius.  They 
should have been able to handle it.  And LV thinks that Snape is 
spying for him.  So, maybe it was ok for him to warn the Order, 
if he had to.  My basis for this is the beggining of book six 
when Bellatrix revels that she is out of favor with the Dark Lord 
and Narcissa theorizes that LV is punishing Lucius by using Draco.  
Snape pretty much confirms it, not a solid yes, but tells her that 
LV is not happy.  But Snape still has his confidence.  

As always, this is JMO and would love to have someone rip it to shreds.

Melanie, who is sorry that she didn't sign her post last time and 
the list elf had to do, and now wants to re-read the series for 
the 5th time.