The Trial Of Severus Snape

[ellecain]

No: HPFGUIDX 141308

Sherry wrote:
If Dumbledore had made some kind of like sacrifice, that would be a
completely different thing for me. I can't forgive or excuse Dumbledore
dying at the hand of Snape. It was time for Snape to declare himself
Dumbledore's Man, if he was, and help defend Dumbledore and the boys. 
Even
getting a wand to Dumbledore could have been helpful. And I'm positive 
if
Harry can do some wandless magic, Dumbledore surely must be able to do 
so.
Snape chose to save his own skin, in my opinion. I'm becoming pretty 
sure
of OFH Snape rather than strictly Voldemort's Snape. But the fact that 
he
didn't try to fight to save Dumbledore doesn't make him DDM to me.

Elyse:
Again, I wish you would imagine the scenario if Snape tried to help DD 
in the Tower. You say that it was time for Snape to reveal that he was 
DD's man. If he had done so, continuing to pose as a spy for LV would 
have been rather more difficult dont you think?

Ok lets say that Snape could have performed some other function 
instead of spying. How could he have done so when LV was out for his 
blood? Anything he could have done required venturing into society, and 
letting people know where he was. And as Fudge said in GoF, LV is no 
easy person to hide from. Sirius was an Animagus, yet he had to stay 
hidden in his prison of a house for a year. It drove him insane to do
it. You think Snape would go down the same path after watching Sirius 
crack up? You think Dumbledore would have let him???
Karkaroff stayed alive for a year after he deserted. Regulus managed a 
few days. Snape had no chance of surviving.

Of course assuming a DDM!Snape  still willing to reveal himself as 
such, there is no guarantee that he could have fought 3 other DE's, and 
a werewolf alone (were not counting Draco here, he was just a pawn).
As Valky said this was a wartime situation, and I think DD as Captain 
and Snape as lieutenant would have been able to calculate the odds 
better than a bystander like Harry who had no experience. Maybe they 
knew just how slim the odds were, how bad the situation really was. In 
such a case I can definitely believe that DD would have sacrificed 
himself. Thats why he is the epitome of moral goodness. Thats what made 
him the greatest wizard in the world.

Also, there are so many theories that DD was dying from the curse on 
the ring, the potion in the cave and of course the really wild 
speculation that the AK was not an AK but really a nonverbal 
Impedimenta or something etc etc.

I know all these arguments have been rehashed and replayed endlessly, 
but I felt compelled to repeat them, as I still am firmly entrenched in 
Dumbledore's Man!Snape territory. 
(Hmmm....maybe I ought to start giving out badges saying "Support 
SEVERUS SNAPE, the REAL Potterverse Hero".....heh heh :-) )

My point is if any, heck, maybe even ALL these arguments were true 
would you consider the mitigating factors? Would the explanations, no 
matter how far fetched, if proved true, soften your judgement?
Or would you really condemn him to Azkaban no matter how heroic his 
actions were proven under harsh circumstances?

Not trying to change your mind, just wondering about Sevvie's trial and
how harshly the jury would come down if he survives book 7
Elyse