Is Snape good or evil?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 148573

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:
>
> Considering this "is Snape good or evil" business I can think of 5
> possibilities, I list them below from least likely to most likely. I'm
> almost sure #1 is untrue because I don't see any way to make an
> interesting book with that premise, and I'll bet money book 7 will be
> interesting.
> 

<snip list>

Pippin:
What about the possibility that Dumbledore is dead but Snape didn't kill
him? That would leave both Harry and DDM!Snape in the most difficult,
ie interesting, position of all if they must put aside their enmity in order to 
defeat Voldemort. Each would be bereft of Dumbledore's guidance, and 
tempted to make the easy choice of blaming the other for their mutual 
loss. The UV leaves plenty of room for such an outcome, IMO. 

It only requires Snape to carry out the task "Should it prove necessary" --
and who knows what that means? To Narcissa it must have meant 
"necessary to protect Draco" . We know it's not necessary to *her* that
Dumbledore die, since her first plea to Snape at Spinner's End is to
get Voldemort to abandon the plan. If Draco could be saved from
the consequences of his failure without Snape carrying out the task, I
think the vow would allow it. The third provision would take effect
and Snape would die if, but only if,  Draco came to harm as  a result of 
failing in his mission. 

Yeah, that works. It makes sense of Dumbledore's hands-off
policy even when Draco's failed attempts endanger other students,
and it also explains why those failures don't force Snape to act or
suffer the consequences.

Pippin