Will there be an ESE!character in Book 7?

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 147566

nrenka:
<snip>
> It's *just* to save Snape from having used AK, right?  I think 
that's 
> a cop-out.

zgirnius:
Heck no! I am not at all sure Rowling is going there (I would assign 
the largest probability to Snape performing the AK, personally) but I 
do see a point to this theory. 

You see, if Snape let Dumbledore down carefully off the tower using 
some nonverbal levitation spell with a conveniently green jet of 
light, then who killed Dumbledore? Well, it was Harry that fed him 
that potion, after all. On his orders, and in a situation in which it 
was apparently necessary for the greater good, yes...

Of course, I would further defend our hero by pointing out the 
responsibility borne by Voldemort, who made the nasty potion in the 
first place to hide his Horcrux, an object clearly in sore need of 
destruction. And Draco, who brought Death Eaters into the school and 
thus prevented Dumbledore from seeking the medical attention he 
needed (though since he never got it, we cannot be sure that it would 
have done any good). And even Snape, who may have known as he left 
the school that he was the only one with a chance to effect a cure in 
time (or not). 

nrenka:
>But if the theme is meant to be that it's a horrifying 
> decision for Snape and it's very difficult for him, then coming up 
> with a reason for why oh, it's actually not so bad, defangs it in a 
> way that just seems, well, cheap to me.  I know you disagree, so 
I'd 
> love to hear from other listies here.

zgirnius:
Snape is not (as OFH!/ESE!Snapers keep reminding us ;) ) the hero of 
our story. Perhaps Rowling did not want to let HARRY off the hook so 
easily.