Who killed Dumbledore? Heroes and Not.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 145095

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sherry Gomes" <sherriola at e...>
wrote:
>
> Sydney: 
> 
> ... so the interpretation of D-dore begging Snape to fullfill
> the Vow rather than dying himself slips in just like the missing
> piece of a jigsaw. ...  Harry actually being the one to kill 
> D-dore with the poison would be an awesome piece of plotting
> but I don't think that's the one called for here.
> 
> -- Sydney
> 
> 
> 
> Sherry now:
> 
> ....  Any idea that lets Snape off the hook, especially one 
> that would make Harry the true killer has to do way too much
> snipping and shoving to make it believable or acceptable for 
> me.  Again, Harry is the hero. Snape is not the hero. Snape
> faking the AK to keep anyone from knowing that Harry had 
> poisoned Dumbledore to death would make Snape the hero again.  
> ...edited...
> 
> Sherry
>

bboyminn:

I think you are engaged in a little too much 'spin' here. Not that
that's bad, you are trying to make a valid point, but I don't think
Snape pretending to kill Dumbledore after Dumbledore expires from the
Potion in any way makes Harry a killer. It neither makes Snape a hero,
or Harry a villian.

Let's us assume this senario of a second. Snape steps forward,
Dumbledore pleads with him to do what must be done, then Dumbledore
dies, and seizing the opportunity, Snape hits him with the AK and
sends him off the tower.

In all likelihood, if the DE's had not been in Hogwarts, Dumbledore
would have gotten to Snape in time and under favorable circumstances
to all, then Snape would have been able to stop or reverse the Dark
Magic that was created by the Potions that Dumbledore drank. Further,
Dumbledore EMPHATICALLY ORDERED Harry to force feed him the Potion. To
continue forcing Dumbledore to drink it no matter how much he begged,
pleaded, ordered, or commanded otherwise. Harry had no way of knowing
what the effects of the potion would be, nor what the consequence of
obeying Dumbledore's orders would be. 

Back to my original point, it wasn't Harry giving Dumbledore the
potion that caused his death. It was the presences of Death Eaters
that prevented Dumbledore from getting to needed medical care. That
was a circumstances that no one could have really foreseen or allowed for.

So, in a sense, and working from our assumption, it was a set of
unexpected and uncontrollable circumstances that were the cause of
Dumbledore's death. That neither makes Snape a hero, nor Harry a villian. 

If anything, it makes Snape an opportunist and Harry a tragic victim
of circumstances. Although, Harry's current 'tragic victim' status is
really only an extension of a series in which Harry has constantly
been a tragic victim. So, this current victim status would not get in
the way of his also being a hero. Nor does it prevent some aspects of
Snape's actions from having heroic elements. Even if the events
surrounding Snape's action come to full light, while he may be admired
and aspect of his action may be to some degree considered heroic, I
certainly don't see such a dark and nasty character being elevated to
'hero' status. Spies in general are important to winning war, but
their actions are usually unsung, and they are rarely ever seen as heroes.

To elevate Snape to hero status would be close to elevating Wormtail
to hero status, if, at the last second, Wormtail steps forward and
does something decent. That one decent act doesn't offset or erase
many more and greater vile acts. While Snape has acted as a spy, and
while he may be able to explain what happened on the tower, and while
he may yet help Harry defeat Voldemort. I don't see him at the
forefront of the celebration of victory. As I said, the role and
assistance of a spy typically goes unsung.

Harry, on the otherhand, has been a selfless hero from beginning to
end, and one mistake, one miscalculation, one sad twist of
circumstances does not erase his hero status. I'm sure if our basic
supposition for this argument does prove to be true, Harry will
certainly feel some guilt in the matter, but I don't think he has
anything to truly be guilty for, and I don't think anyone in the
wizard world would hold him culpable.

Somewhat convoluted, but none the less, there it is.

Steve/bboyminn