The unknown factor...... The apparent ease at which DD was killed.

[David]

No: HPFGUIDX 149921

This may have been discussed at great length... but being new here 
and not wanting to wade through the huge amount of posts...

One thing that has always bothered me about DD's death was the 
apparent ease at which it happened. Granted the stuff he had to 
drink in the cave was not very healthy, but you would think that a 
man of his experience and stature, let alone knowledge, wouldn't be 
defenseless. Nor, would you think that he could have misplaced his 
trust in Snape THAT badly. Sure, he has said himself that he does 
make mistakes, and in his case, they tend to be rather large ones, 
but for some reason I just don't buy it.

That being said... let me toss out a theory and see what you all 
think of it. 

Firstly... DD is dead. No question about it. However, the 
circumstances around his death are up to debate. Draco kept his 
plans pretty quiet, but given the extreme measures his mother took 
to protect him and the number of death eaters that showed up on 
Hogwarts, you have to question if Snape didn't know ahead of time 
what was going to go down. At least some idea something was going to 
happen, if not the specifics. 

Second.... DD's injury when destroying the first horcrux. What if 
the injury was even more potent than we are lead to believe or what 
is made of it in the book. What if it was fatal from the start, but 
slowed by the work of Snape and others???

Here is my theory... Both Snape and DD knew what was going to happen 
and that in order to get Snape back into the 'fold', they put into 
motion of series of events that would culminate in the ultimate sign 
he was back to the death eaters... the murder of DD himself. 

Granted its a rather large sacrifice, but if he was going to die 
anyway, why not make it worth while. 

Thoughts?

David