A couple of little theories!

[Phyllis D. (P. D.) Barnes]

No: HPFGUIDX 162051

Rebecca:
> First of all, in GoF;c33 Voldemort says that his most faithful
> servant has already entered his service, is at Hogwarts and it was
> through his efforts that Harry was in the graveyard at all. So
> it's Snape? That's what you think reading that. Yet in GoF;c35
> Barty Crouch Jr says that he was the one who did everything. This
> is under the influence of the Veritaserum, so it has to be true.
> Yet Snape is in the room while Barty takes said truth serum, and
> it is always possible that Snape (who is quite capable of casting
> spells wordlessly) could have had him under the Imperius curse,
> couldn't he? Well, no, because Snape wasn't in the room
> when 'Moody' told Harry  he was the one who put Harry's name in
> under a different school, that he gave him the clues, and turned
> the cup into a portkey.
<snip>
> Secondly, I have no idea why this hit me the other night while re-
> reading GoF, but I was just struck by an amazingly scary thought.
> We know that Wormtail owes Harry a life debt, and there are some
> fans who would suggest that Snape also does, through his previous
> life-deat to James Potter, but we must also remember that through
> Voldemort choosing Harry as the child in the prophecy, Harry
> inadvertently spared the life of someone else. Someone who, it
> could maybe be said, Harry loves. One of his closest friends. The
> one with whom he shared a terrible secret for at least a year -
> Neville Longbottom. We know that Neville is not the brightest of
> students, and he says himself he is little more that a squib. From
> the way the prophecy sounds, the child in the prophecy has to die
> to kill Voldemort. <snip>

Hi (here's another long post):

I believe that Snape is a true member of the Order of the Phoenix and loyal to Dumbledore.  My reason is simple - - Snape worked closely with Dumbledore for at least 15 years at the end of HBP (he told Umbridge that he had worked at Hogwarts for 14 years).  I believe that Dumbledore would know if someone that he worked closely with was willingly on Voldy's side.  (Would Harry have taken Occlumency from Snape if Dumbledore knew he worked for Voldemort?)  But Snape is not a good guy.  He is blatant in showing preferential treatment to those in his house; while Harry, Neville, Hermione and Ron can do no right and are continuously mistreated by him.  We know this behavior began before Harry arrived at Hogwarts because George and Fred remarked on it during the start of term feast.

Now on to the subject of whether Harry will kill Voldemort and/or die himself.  The HP series was originally intended for kids (though we adults love it with good reason).  Also, the plot for all seven books was outlined before the first book was written.  I don't believe that JKR would write books for children in which the hero (a child) after overcoming more trials than an adult can imagine would end by killing someone and then dying.  Why overcome the obstacles if you don't live happily ever after?  Therefore, I think that Harry will survive; that he and Ginny will marry and live happily ever after.

Voldemort is afraid of death; in OOP Dumbledore tells Voldemort that
they both know there are things that are worse than death.  In PoA we learn about the Dementor's kiss which is described as resulting in a vegetative state that's described as "worse than death".  I believe that Harry will somehow cause the dementors to kiss Voldemort.  Since Voldy will not have the powerful happy memories to draw upon; he will not be able to produce a patronus to ward off them off.  Hence Harry will defeat Voldemort without killing him.

Phyllis