OFH, Life-debt and Snape/Lily-no-way

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 162455

> 
> wynnleaf
> <snipped>
> In the same interview, JKR said, "Who on earth would want Snape in 
> love with them, that is a very horrible idea."  Oddly, this quote 
is 
> often misconstrued to mean that Snape couldn't have loved anyone, 
or 
> that no one could have loved Snape (now debunked by JKR).  
Actually, 
> if you look at the context of this quote, it's classic obfuscation.
> 

Neri:
Thanks for the link to the audio, which I enjoyed listening to (and 
took three ACID POPS right after...). BTW, does anybody know if 
there's an audio of the three-part Leaky/Mugglenet interview around?

Anyway, regarding JKR "debunking" Snape never been loved, this one is 
usually quoted out of context and not in full. Here is the full 
version: 

******************************************************
http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-
3.htm

Melissa Anelli: Oh, here's one [from our forums] that I've really got 
to ask you. Has Snape ever been loved by anyone?

JKR: Yes, he has, which in some ways makes him more culpable even 
than Voldemort, who never has.
******************************************************

IMO this is actually the worst of the many anti-Snape quotations by 
JKR. Note that she brought up the comparison with Voldemort herself, 
not as a result of some prompting by Anelli.

I suspect that JKR, as usual, has been underestimating the fandom's 
capabilities of subverting her story, especially in regard to Snape. 
She probably imagined that she put enough nails into the DDM!Snape 
coffin in the end of HBP for anyone but a few "delusionals". She has 
learned better since, but she's still underestimating us by far, I 
suspect.

My point is that, if JKR goes for LID!Snape as I think, then Snape 
finally repaying his Debt and saving Harry's life should come as a 
big surprise in the climax of book 7 (at least surprise to anyone who 
hasn't read the Life Debt theories). If at this point most readers 
still believe in DDM!Snape, then there's no surprise, only 
disappointment (when it turns out he's only LID and not DDM). So I 
predict that during the first half of Book 7 we will get much more 
compelling evidence that Snape isn't Dumbledore's Man. This may 
include several of the following options:

1. We might learn that Snape was indeed in love with Narcissa for a 
long time, and that this was his reason to make the UV to her.

2. We might learn some unpleasant things about Snape's schooldays, 
especially regarding his part in "The Prank", his dabbling with the 
Dark Arts and his connections with Lucius, Narcissa and "the 
Slytherin gang".

3. Similarly, we might learn new unpleasant things about Snape's 
Death Eating days and/or his period of spying after Dumbledore during 
VW1.

4. We might find out that during OotP Snape told Voldemort about the 
Occlumency lessons, and that during these lessons Snape was in fact 
attempting to achieve some mission for Voldemort (my guess: he was 
trying to find Voldemort's lost soul part inside Harry, and failed).

5. We might find that Snape lied to Dumbledore about his part in the 
MoM battle. For example, that he actually knew in advance about 
Kreacher betraying the Order, that he knew in advance about the 
planned operation, that he did not warn the Order about what had 
happened in Umbridge's office the first time around, and that he 
stalled for several hours before warning them the "second" time. 

6. We might receive more evidence that Snape's information was indeed 
instrumental in the murder of Emmaline Vance. 

7. We might find out that Snape was instrumental in arresting 
Mundungus and sending him to Azkaban during HBP.

8. We might see Snape asking Voldemort for some foul deed in repay 
for his good services. Prime candidate: assassinating Lupin.

9. We might see Lucius agreeing to cooperate with the Order or with 
the Ministry against Voldemort, and then Snape involved in killing 
Lucius. 

10. If JKR opts for the BANGy solution (which she often does with 
Snape) we might actually see Snape on page killing, or takes part in 
killing, an Order member or one of Harry's friends. Prime candidates: 
Moody, Mundungus, Luna.


Some of the above we might learn by watching on page a conversation 
between Voldemort and Snape (note how Snape is the only important DE 
we've never seen together with Voldemort at least once, probably 
because it would have been much too revealing). Any of the above 
would be calculated to ensure that by the climax of HBP most readers 
will be certain that Snape isn't DDM (but I predict that JKR will 
still be underestimating the fandom, so many readers might still 
believe it despite all the evidence).

However, even *before* Book 7 is out, I would not be surprised at all 
if we get more debunking of DDM!Snape theories from JKR. Note how JKR 
didn't care in the beginning about the Dumbledore-Is-Alive theories. 
Even in that very reading in which she finally told us Dumbledore 
is "definitely dead", one question before that she said only to "not 
expect him to do a Gandalf". But when, following Rushdie's question, 
she realized that Dumbledore-Is-Alive is on its way to turn into a 
mainstream DDM!Snape theory, she changed her strategy on the spot and 
very decisively debunked it.

So, if in the near future JKR gets the impression that the next 
mainstream DDM!Snape theory is Dumbledore-Told-Snape-To-Kill-Him, I 
won't be surprised at all if we get from her something along the line 
of "How dare you. Dumbledore would never order a friend to kill him". 
Not that it would make much impression on the fandom, probably, but 
I'm anticipating my Told You So post <g>.


Neri