Snape in HBP, a draft theory.

[templar1112002]

No: HPFGUIDX 132916

This is my take of Snape's role in HBP, and from a girl that always 
thought Snape was evil.  This theory could also fit for a Snape that 
works for his own - very Slytherin-like...


1. When DD went to pick up Harry at Privet Drive, he already had a 
black hand, "and" he was looking for a new "Potions" professor.

2. DD had always denied Snape the DADA professorship.

3. DD told Harry (later in the book) that Voldemort had jinxed the 
DADA position.

4. Snape and DD knew that the magical wound/jinx/hex in his hand 
will eventually kill him... my guess is that DD would not have lived 
for too long that year.

5. When 'Cissy Malfoy asked Snape to do the Unbreakable Vow, Snape 
already knew of Dumbledore's wound and that his position at Hogwarts 
was going to be compromised if DD died soon. Plus, as a double spy, 
he also needed to convince Bella of his loyalty to the Dark Lord.
What better proof than to offer to kill Dumbledore for a DE's 
fellow? After all, Dumbledore was going to kick the bucket sooner or 
later...and in order to give Snape a bit more depth, perhaps he'd 
really cared for Draco Malfoy.

6. So Snape told Dumbledore of this Vow, then took the DADA 
position, to make sure he would be with Voldie next year, and then 
tried to prevent Malfoy from killing Dumbledore, to extend this for 
as long as possible.

7. Hagrid over-heard Snape and Dumbledore in the F.Forest. He said 
that Snape was asking DD to make him not go on with the plan (or 
something like that, I read the book once and don't even know where 
to look for that quote, sorry). Maybe Snape was asking DD to not 
make him kill DD? Perhaps DD thought that Draco had a chance to be
redeemed if Snape convinced him of not killing DD? This is where I 
stumble a little with my 'theory', :)

8. Dumbledore made Harry promise him to follow his orders/wishes 
even if they didn't make sense to Harry. (Cave chapter? or previous 
one?)
I have reason to suspect that Dumbledore had asked the same from 
Snape: in the event that Draco were about to kill him, Snape should 
do it. A dead Snape would be worthless to the cause, :)
That way, Snape'd have proven beyond any doubt that he was loyal to 
Voldie. But. I get the feeling that Dumbledore asked Snape to help 
Harry/Order after his death. Maybe another Unbreakable Vow? But 
who'd have been the 'third' party? New character in HP7? Or one of 
those Order members that Jo mentioned in her last interview, that
we've heard of but don't know them well yet?
"If" Snape was loyal to Dumbledore, this new or semi-new character 
will be very important in HP7, because so far the Order believed 
that Snape had betrayed them. This way, when this Order member 
confesses that Snape is truly loyal to them, then things would not 
look that grim for Harry/Order.
I suspect of this because Snape had tons of opportunities to hex 
Harry at the end, he could have stupefied him and taken him to 
Voldie. But Snape didn't. He not only "told" Harry what he needed to 
do: close his mind and learn silent casting of spells, but he also 
convinced the other DE's to leave Harry.

The "pleading" in Dumbledore's voice? Yes, I think that DD was 
pleading Snape to kill him. Let's not forget that Harry had believed 
that Sirius was his parents' killer in the Shrieking Shack scene in 
PoA:

"...The taunt about his father rang in Harry's ears as though Black 
had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest, leaving no 
place for fear. ..." PoA, page 339 Scholastic p/b edition.

"...'Kill me then,' panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only 
rage and contempt. 'Kill me like you killed him, you coward-
' 'DON'T -' screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, 
inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling 
dog stuck in the burning house behind them -CALL ME COWARD!' ..." 
HBP, page 604 Scholastic h/c edition.

It'd be really neat (and tragic) if Snape turns out to be a mirror 
of Black's situation in PoA, wouldn't it? Having to endure the 
weight of crimes which they "unwillingly" committed...

And I say all this after having believed since PS/SS that Snape was 
and will always be an evil guy...
In all honesty, if what I've just reasoned comes close to HP7 canon, 
it'd give Snape's character many, many layers of depth.

Yet somehow, if this is true, I can see Jo have Harry discover this 
about Snape, have him take a liking for the chap (he already "liked" 
his Half-Blood Prince book, didn't he?), and then Jo 
goes "baaammm!" ... and kills Snape, XD.

Marcela