Snape's penance? (was: Opposite of a Horcrux/Interesting Parallel)

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 139446

SSSusan:

[...]
 
> Now, I actually happen to think (and I have no canon support, I 
> know!) that it's possible that a "mercy killing" or a killing 
> commanded by a superior officer in time of war just might not cause 
> the soul to rip the way that a cold-blooded murder does.  But 
> assuming the other folks are correct and I'm wrong -- that even this 
> kind of killing DOES cause the rip -- might it not be that this 
> horrible thing, this ripping of the soul, is simply the *penance* 
> Snape is paying for the mistakes he's made?  

houyhnhnm:

I have been thinking of something kind of along this same line.  I,
too, believe that Snape remained loyal to Dumbledore, but it also
seems that he has remained somewhat ambivalent about the dark arts.

We don't know whether Snape actually performed any killing curses
during his DE days.  What if he didn't?  What if he merely stood by
and watched and, with the "usual slithering out of action", avoided
using any of the Unforgiveable Curses himself?  What if he still
believes the Unforgiveables would not be truly unforgiveable if they
were used in the service of the "right" side?

Dumbledore may feel, especially if the DADA curse makes it inevitable
that things will end up as they do on the tower, that by allowing
Snape to kill him, he is saying, "This is what killing feels like. 
Know what what it really is and why it is wrong and turn away from the
dark arts forever".

My theory for the conclusion of the story (or at least what I'd like
to see happen) is that the lesson "takes".  After killing Dumbledore,
Snape is unable to return to Voldemort and continue to play the role
of DE.  Instead, he turns himself in to the Ministry and goes to
Azkaban (foreshadowed by the "dark, padded cell" in the house on
Spinners End).  Harry's growth in knowledge and compassion in book 7,
eventually leads him not only to forgive Snape, but to become his
champion.  This supreme act of charity creates the love magic powerful
enough to destroy Voldemort for all time.    

BTW, with respect to "killing tears the soul", I still maintain that
this is *not* canonical, if it means that any taking of life
(regardless of motive or circumstances) damages the soul in some
irremediable way that lying, bullying, cheating, hurting, and hating
(committed by so many of the characters in the HP books) do not.

I want to see quotations with page numbers.