Hearing from the Great Middle & other assorted

[allies426]

No: HPFGUIDX 140128

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, lupinlore wrote:

>  > I'm interested in hearing from this 2/3.  We have seen multiple and
>  > vehement arguments from the die-hards on either end of the
>  > spectrum ... <SNIP> What factors
>  > are keeping people from passing judgment, or what factors are
>  > convincing people that Snape probably won't come down firmly on
>  > either side?
> 

So many reasons that I cannot pass judgement!  I'm only going to add 
things that haven't been beaten to death.

Why it's possible that Snape could be ESE (on the side of the DE's):  

We haven't seen any direct proof of anything that he's told the Order 
that has been *at all* helpful to them.  Snape is the epitome of nasty, 
and he's such a stereotype "bad guy" that even if he's NOT a Death 
Eater at heart, I'll have a hard time forgiving him for what he's done 
to Harry and Hermione throughout the series.  (The "I see no 
difference" regarding Hermione's huge teeth after Malfoy's curse makes 
me mad every time I read it.)  JKR's comment in her Mugglenet/Leaky 
interview regarding people clinging to a desperate hope about Snape 
being still on Dumbledore's side makes me think that it is possible 
he's not.

Why it's possible that Snape could be ESG (on the side of the Order):

It would be so borrrrring if the nasty guy "swooping around like an 
overgrown bat" really turns out to be the traitor.  He saved 
Dumbledore's life before the action of HBP.  (Granted, we don't know 
the circumstances, maybe he didn't *really* do all that he could 
have.)  He saved Harry's life in book 1.  We haven't seen any direct 
proof of anything that Snape has told the Death Eaters that has helped 
them.  What he bragged about to Bellatrix doesn't necessarily have to 
be true.  I think it will make a much better plotline if Harry, after 
months of pursuing Snape with the intent to do I-don't-know-what him, 
finds out that Snape really *was* on their side.


Why it's possible that Snape is OFH (out for himself):
He has to walk a fine line at all times, putting himself in such a 
dangerous position, why would anybody do it, unless they were truly 
THAT GOOD?  Is he really SO REMORSEFUL about something that he feels 
obligated to help the Order?  Maybe he's remorseful enough to have left 
the Death Eaters, but since  they'll kill him for it, his only option 
left was to turn spy for the Order.  Even if he doesn't care about the 
Order's purpose either, he has to make the DE's think he's still on 
their side, even if his heart's not in it, to save his own skin.  (I 
know that's really convoluted, what I was trying to say is that maybe 
he's only helping the Order because he doesn't want to be a Death 
Eater, not because he cares what they're doing.)

Other assorted and totally unrelated topics:

We are due for a MAJOR TWIST in the next book.  We haven't had one in 
TWO books now!  Order of the Phoenix - no major twist.  Slightly minor 
twist when Sirius wasn't at the DoM.  HBP - no major twist.  The-locked-
is-a-fake was a minor twist, because we only found out that Harry and 
Dumbledore were going after it one chapter previously to finding it.  
Whatever happened to the bad guy being the one you LEAST expect?  
Quirrell?  Ginny Weasley??  SCABBERS????  (Partly why I do not think 
Snape is ESE - it has to be somebody surprising, like....  Fleur.  
Charlie.  Tonks.  Errol.  :)  )

I HATE the idea that Harry/Harry's scar is a Horcrux.  After reading 
all the arguments, though, I'm starting to believe it could be the 
scar.  I think there will be a big twist relating to the Horcruxes, 
like there are more than 7, or one of them was not really destroyed 
when Harry thinks they have all been destroyed.

In the beginning of OoP, Harry and the Advance Guard fly to London on 
broomsticks.  Lupin tells Harry "You're too young to apparate."  What 
about side-along apparition?  Was that not invented yet at the time of 
writing?

Long-winded,

Allie