[HPforGrownups] Snape's Final Straw

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 150875

   KJ writes:
      I don't see Snape's character truly being revealed until the last
possible moment. I don't believe that killing is what JKR had in mind for
Harry to do. That is definitely Snape's role. I can see Harry coming face to
face with both of them, and Snape, at the last moment, giving up his life to
take out Voldemorte. It seems to me that this is the only role left for
Snape if he is to live up to the "redemptive" quality discussed by JKR.



Sherry now:

I see two possible problems with this theory.  First of all, the dratted
prophecy.  It clearly states Harry is the one with the power to vanquish the
dark lord.  Not Snape, not Dumbledore, but Harry.  Ok, it does not name
Harry, but Voldemort made the prophecy mean Harry.  I don't necessarily
believe Dumbledore was correct in assuming that it means kill or be killed.
JKR has said she wrote the prophecy very carefully, and I expect she meant
vanquish and not kill.  Vanquish could mean any number of things that don't
involve physically killing Voldemort.

The biggest objection is the hero role.  If Snape kills Voldemort, after
seven books preparing us and Harry to deal with him in the end, it would be
kind of a cheap trick and would totally undermine Harry's role as hero.
This has nothing to do with my feelings about Snape.  I would say the same
thing if Sirius--my favorite adult character--ended up doing the deed.  It's
Harry's journey, Harry's story.  Harry is the one who appeared in full life
to JKR, and I don't think for a minute that she's going to give his glory in
the end, to the one who also gave him the most pain throughout the series.

Sherry