Understanding Snape

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 153485

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "houyhnhnm102" <celizwh at ...> 
wrote:

<massive snip to illustrate one point>

> He is representing himself to Bellatrix as a loyal Death eater when 
> his actions OotP show that he cannot be one.

I think there's a third option here, actually implied by the original 
post, which is being missed:

IF Snape is playing two sides against the middle--and thus has both 
the ability and occasionally the motivation to work for either side--
THEN there is nothing to contradict the idea that he's generally 
being a good type in OotP but isn't acting for the good in HBP.  In 
fact, that did seem the premise of the OP, and an argument which 
can't either be proven or conclusively refuted at this point, given 
the lack of information.  It then means that actions in OotP can't 
and don't necessarily prove anything about Snape's mindset and 
actions in HBP.

-Nora relaxes in yet another new city