HBP: Why I am 98.6% certain that...

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 133629

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jim Ferer" <jferer at y...> wrote:

> ** Snape and Dumbledore should have figured out a way to 
> keep Harry from killing Snape the first time he lays eyes 
> on him after this plan worked out.
> 
> Harry will never believe anything about Snape again – Harry 
> will try to kill Snape the first chance he gets. If Snape 
> came to Harry and tried everything he could to persuade 
> Harry, it would do no good. Snape couldn't convince any of 
> the Order, either. It's hard to figure out how Snape can be 
> any good to the Order or Harry after this.


Jim -- forgive me for not addressing your other points, but others
have already made responses close enough to my thoughts on those.  

As to Harry's reaction, and Harry's perceptions of Snape more
generally, this is actually the point that I find most strongly
*supportive* of the theory that Snape remained loyal to Dumbledore. 
Possibly the most recurrent subplot in the books is Harry's suspicions
of Snape, and how he always misinterprets the motives behind Snape's
actions.  Is it possible that Snape has somehow become completely
transparent to Harry?  It seems immensely more likely that in his
(mutual) animosity toward Snape, Harry is missing something.   

I still believe that Harry's great battle in book 7 will have
something significant to do with overcoming his hatred of Snape. 
Building up the tension to an almost unbelievable level in advance of
the resolution strikes me as being very consistent with Rowling's style.  

As for convincing others, I don't think Snape will do it.  Either they
(e.g. Hermione, Lupin) will convince themselves or they will never be
convinced.  But the fact that the Order don't know Snape is on their
side surely does not mean he can't be "any good" to them -- it just
means he's under very deep cover.

-- Matt