Snape Survey - Dumbledore's Sacrifice

[OctobersChild48 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 149359

       Carol writes:
> 
> No evidence anywhere that Dumbledore's trust in Snape has in any way
> diminished, or that Snape has given him any reason to distrust him. 

     Sandy responds:
My name is Sandy and I am new to the list. It would appear that the most 
strongly debated issues in Half-Blood Prince are whether Snape is good or evil and whether or not DD was begging Snape to, or not, to take his life, oh, and 
whether or not DD is truly dead. 

A lot is being made of the fact that DD continually states that he trusts 
Snape. The fact that DD trusts Snape does not mean that Snape is trustworthy or 
that DD is not wrong in trusting Snape. I have never been totally convinced of 
Snape's trustworthiness or loyalty to the Order throughout the books and after 
reading Spinners End I was, once and for all, convinced that Snape was still 
a committed Death Eater. Why else would Peter Pettigrew have been there, and 
what other explanation can there be for the Unbreakable Vow? After being so 
thoroughly questioned by Narcissa and coming up with pausible answers for all of 
them why could he have not also come up with a plausible excuse for not making 
the UV?

I think the question to be pondered is why DD continued to be loyal to Snape 
when there were so many clues as to why he shouldn't. Granted, we the readers 
were privvy to the events of Spinners End whereas DD was not, but I think that 
is JKR's way of showing us the "real" Snape. DD ia a great, powerful and 
gifted wizard but that does not mean that he is infallible. 

The debate as to whether DD was or was not begging for his life, with the 
major concensus being that he was not because it would not have been in his 
character to do so bears further scrutiny. I don't believe DD would have begged for his life for himself, but I certainly think he would have done so for Harry. 
He was in the process of providing Harry with the knowledge he needed to have 
to defeat Voldemort and he had not completed that mission yet. He certainly 
knew that no other adult could help, guide or lead Harry in the direction he 
needed to go, least of all Snape. And it just does not make sense that DD would 
have been begging Snape to kill him, knowing full well his (Snape's) 
usefullness to the Order would die with him (DD). I cannot believe that DD would have chosen to leave Harry at such a crucial time.

JKR has made negative comments about Snape in some of her interviews. I will 
try to find an exact quote.

I believe, quite firmly, that DD is dead and that he was cold-bloodedly 
murdered.

Sandy