TBAY: Definitely NOT a Snape Theory (long)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 145041

> "More meta-thinking," said Faith. "The DDM crew point out that the
> tower scene, at the very end of the book before last, just *begs* for
> a nice reversal in the last book. The ESE and OFH crews counter that
> revealing Snape is DDM in the last book would practically make him the
> real hero of the series and Harry a puppet of Dumbledore's plan. But
> LID!Snape can supply us with a powerful reversal – Snape saving
> Harry's life at the critical moment in Book 7 – without making Snape
> the hero. He'll do it because he magically owes James' memory, not
> because he's the secret guardian of Dumbledore's plan. All the
> advantages, none of the weaknesses."

"That," said Pippin, popping out of nowhere and slipping a time turner
back into her cloak, "is far too weak dramatically to be compelling. Robo!
Snape, who only acts the way he does because of magical compulsion?
Puh-leeze."

"Well," said George,"do you agree that Snape changed sides because
he gradually realized Voldemort was evil?"

"Nah," said Pippin. "He changed sides because he suddenly realized that 
he, Snape, was evil. He realized it when he found he was involved in a 
plot against the person to whom he owned a life debt. There's 
a parallel you see, between Snape telling Voldemort about the
prophecy, and Dumbledore not telling Harry about it. 

"Dumbledore says that he didn't tell Harry because Harry's
happiness was more important than the lives of nameless
faceless people.  I always wondered what he meant,
because surely Harry needed to know the prophecy to protect
himself from Voldie. But in HPB, Dumbledore says that Harry
doesn't need the prophecy to defeat Voldemort.

"The prediction that Harry would have the power that 
Voldemort knows not has already been fulfilled. The way Dumbledore
sees it, Voldemort *can't* win. He's driven to confront Harry,
and he can't beat him. So the nameless faceless lives that
Dumbledore was talking about aren't the people who are
going to be killed if Voldemort wins. They're the people who
are going to die because Harry has not yet taken up the mantle
of the Chosen One.

"It's only when one of those nameless people turns out to be Sirius 
that Dumbledore finds it in his heart to tell Harry the truth.

"Now, Snape told the prophecy to Voldemort not considering
that nameless faceless people would die. We can't be too hard 
on him for that, because Dumbledore made the same mistake,
though with more excuse as he did it because he loved Harry, 
not for any lesser reward. 

"But the magical bond has to be important somehow," said Neri.

"Ee-yes, but this idea that being involved in the death of a person
you owe a life debt to would kill you? I mean Pettigrew's
got to know that, and he doesn't act like Harry's death is going to
be the end of him, does he? Very proud and happy with his new
silver hand, he is. Not anxious at all."

"Well done," said Faith. "See what happens when you get beyond
canon?"

"But Neri could be almost right," said Pippin. "What if it doesn't
kill you. What if it just...splits your soul? It's just the sort of magic
Voldemort ignores because he doesn't understand the value
of an intact soul."

"So when James died, Snape's soul was split?" Neri gasped.

"Got it in one," said Pippin. ""Now he's desperately trying to save
Harry because Dumbledore's told him  it will help  heal the 
tear in his soul. But it doesn't stop him from being an 
absolute !@#$ to Harry otherwise. In fact it makes it easier."

"Still doesn't explain why he took the vow," muttered Neri.

Pippin shrugs.  "DDM!Snape has a good reason to take the vow,
because DDM!Snape would sacrifice his life for  others.  
If  Snape would rather die than kill Dumbledore anyway, he had
nothing to lose. How could he explain to Bella and Narcissa,
much less Voldemort, why he would risk his life to watch over 
Draco and protect  him as he attempts to carry out his task, 
but not to see it done if Draco fails? He might as well spit in 
Voldemort's eye and declare himself Dumbledore's man 
through and through.

"(And I do hope to see that someday. I really do. But it will
likely be the end of him.)"

Neri pouted. "I suppose I can't interest you in an ACID POP?"

Pippin shrugged. "They're okay. A little too sour for my
taste, but you can't have everything, after all."

Pippin
referring everyone upthread to Neri's excellent notes