Possible message in Evil!Snape

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 134321

Let's assume for a moment that Snape in HBP is exactly what he seems - 
i.e. evil.  I don't know whether he is or not and I'm not interested in 
arguing about it.  The evidence is, as JKR perhaps intended, hopelessly 
muddled.  All we can do is wait for whatever revelations might come in 
the final book.  But let's suppose for the sake of argument that we do 
have Evil!Snape or at least Untrustworthy!Snape.  What sort of theme 
could JKR be intending?

Now, I don't think JKR is attempting to teach anyone anything in these 
books.  She has denied doing any such thing, and I take her at her 
word.  But she has also said that these are very moral books, so there 
probably would be some moral implication in such a development.

Perhaps the theme would be that in the end each person has to decide 
for themselves what the truth is.  You can't leave something that 
important to authority figures or relatives or friends -- no matter how 
intelligent or wise or informed or reasonable they are.  Harry has 
decided that Snape is not trustworthy, and has been proven correct, 
despite the protests of reasonable people, intelligent friends, and 
authority figures.  Harry thus is a model of someone who decides the 
important things in life for himself, which is a powerful theme.

Just a speculation, which is all we will have for the next couple of 
years.  :-)


Lupinlore