Is Snape good or evil?

[lisashearercooper]

No: HPFGUIDX 148554

> > 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)
> <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. 
> 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?


Lisa:
I have just reread Book 6 and find myself agreeing with you, that
Dumbledore did have Snape under orders to kill him. Dumbledore knew
all about Draco's plot to kill him and presumably (if we stay with 
the good Snape theory) he also knew of Snape's unbreakable vow.
Dumbledore would for sure want to protect Draco, as he does during 
the conversation at the end. Is it possible that Dumbledore knew he 
was dying from the poison in the cave and that he wanted Snape to 
kill him because he and Snape had some previously determined 
arrangement that when Dumbledore was close to death, Snape would 
kill him to protect Draco and cement Snape's reputation among the 
Death Eaters. Perhaps this killing of Dumbledore is what Snape and 
Dumbledore were arguing about near the forbidden forest. Much as 
Harry does not want to agree to do something that might hurt 
Dumbledore, Snape doesn't want to do it either. 

Another thought about Snape being good- he doesn't kill Harry as he
leaves Hogwarts. He has Harry at his mercy but he doesn't even hurt
him. Snape does this repeatedly throughout the books- he either
protects Harry from danger or neglects to kill him when he has the
chance. What if the reason Dumbledore trusts Snape is because Snape
has promised (perhaps even made an unbreakable vow?) to protect 
Harry.  He really doesn't like Harry, he does lots of mean things 
to him. But I can't think of any instance where he actually harms 
him. Perhaps Dumbledore incapacitates Harry at the end so Snape will 
not be put in the position of saving Harry in front of Death Eaters-
 or be caught in the double bind of saving Draco and Harry both. I 
do wonder if in book 7 we will see Snape aiding Harry in the final 
battle. 

One other question- if Dumbledore did plan to have Snape be his
killer, is it possible that some transfer of power occured there?
Snape seems more powerful than ever after he kills Dumbledore. Was
there some way to preserve some of Dumbledore's knowledge or power 
to still be used against Voldemort later?

I am very curious to hear what others might think of these theories. 
I am new to this formum and hope I have done this right!