Snape - Voldemort or Dumbledore?

[jenniferstmatt]

No: HPFGUIDX 133153

Who do I trust?  I began asking this question in chap. 2 of HBP, and 
will no doubt continue to ponder it until the end of book 7.

In chap. 2 of HBP, the following dialogue takes place between 
Narcissa and Bellatrix:

"Cissy, you must not do this, you can't trust him--"
"The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn't he?"
"The Dark Lord is...I believe...mistaken," Bella panted,...

and later, in response to Snape, Bellatrix replies "I know he 
believes you, but..."

This evidence (along with Snapes' responses to Bellatrix' questions 
in chap. 2, which are all we have to go on) suggests that Lord 
Voldemort does indeed trust Snape and believes he is loyal to him. 

Dumbledore has repeatedly, thoughout canon, said that he trusts Snape 
and believes he is loyal to him.

There is much evidence that could support either theory - Snape, the 
faithful Death Eater or Snape, loyal member of the Order of the 
Phoenix - but of course JKR has left us no clear evidence as to which 
is true - although I do admit that HBP, at least on the surface, 
supports the former - 

However, JKR does, I believe, leave a clue - LV and DD themselves.  
Who do I, the reader, trust?  I personally trust Dumbledore because 
of his judgement of character, his faith in humanity, his love for 
his friends, his compassion for his enemies.  Becuase of these 
characteristics, I believe DD is right about Snape.  It is clear that 
LV and his DE see these characteristics as weaknesses.  If JKR 
intends for her readers to see these characteristics as strengths, I 
can't see how Dumbledore could be wrong about Snape.

Jen