Is Snape good or evil?

[JULIA WILKES]

No: HPFGUIDX 148545

> eggplant:
> > 2) Snape killed Dumbledore but it turns out that Dumbledore was 
> > evil so Snape is good. (after 6 books I don't think any writer 
> > could turn Dumbledore evil, not even JKR)
> <snip>
>
> eggplant:
> > 3) Snape killed Dumbledore but did so on Dumbledore's orders. 
> > (very difficult to find a viable reason Dumbledore would order 
> > such a thing and even if he did Snape would still be evil, at 
> > least in my book)
>
> christoxos:
> Actually I found a very good reason for him to order such a thing, 
> and I'm surely not the first: DD was dying.
>
> eggplant:
> > 5) Snape killed Dumbledore to aid himself so Snape is evil. 
> > (Snape was the third most powerful wizard in the world but he 
> > wants to be number one, he killed one and made sure Harry was 
> > alive and healthy to kill the other).
> <snip>


jdwilkes45:
I have read your lively theories about DD vs LV where Snape is 
concerned and I have thought of all those scenarios as well. But I 
also have one more. What do you think of this one: what if DD and 
Snape did perhaps discuss the possibility that at some point, to 
prove his loyalty to LV, that it might come down to killing either 
himself or Harry. Well, DD wouldn't want Harry to die so when 
the "trap" was set and there was no way out Snape had to kill DD. 
Now keep in mind that even though DD will no longer have a "body" 
and can no longer do magic, he will still be able to help Harry 
later when he will need to try and find the Horcruxes, thru his 
picture that will be hanging on the wall at school in the Head 
Masters office; remember all the previous Head Masters are still 
able to talk and move from picture to picture throughout. 

So maybe that is how Harry will still get DD's help. I can't 
imagine that JKR will completely write out DD. There is still so 
much for Harry to learn and do. So what if Snape has had to 
"pretend" all this time that he is working strictly for LV so that 
he can truly now bring back actual useful information to the Order. 
LV would certainly trust him completely now, wouldn't he, and would 
also then be more willing to confide certain pieces of information 
to Snape that he may have previously kept to himself. To me, now 
that Snape has shown this loyalty to LV he will be the 2nd in 
command (so to speak) and Snape will now be able to get the 
information that Harry will need to destroy the Horcruxes so that 
Harry and LV will do battle in the end, which will all know will 
happen.
   
  Just a thought. What do you think?