JKR's crying at the end of writing DH/ Double agent's death

[Dana]

No: HPFGUIDX 171538

 Nita: 
> Um, a "double agent" is neither a plain old spy nor an OFH type of
> person, says the Wikipedia:
> 
> "A double agent is someone who pretends to spy on a target
> organization on behalf of a controlling organization, but in fact is
> loyal to the target organization. Double agents may be agents of the
> target organization who infiltrate the controlling organization, or
> may be previously loyal agents of the controlling organization who
> have been captured and turned by the target."
> 
> DDM!Snape is "double" because he's stationed at Hogwarts, pretending
> to spy on DD and the Order. Now, if Avery, for instance, was DDM as
> well, he would be just an "agent" or a "spy".
<snip>

Dana:

I resisted replying to people posting the wikipedia definition of 
double spy but let's look at it more closely shall we? (Also I 
suggest that everyone read the rest of the page on wikipedia because 
there you will find that many double agents indeed worked both ways 
causing devastation in both camps) 

So a double agent as stated in the wikipedia definition is stated to 
spy on a target organization on behalf of a controlling organization, 
but is in fact loyal to the target organization. 

So who are the target and controlling organizations in case of Snape? 
Well before Snape turned spy for the Order, Snape was not a double 
agent but just merely a spy for LV. Snape only became a double agent 
when he agreed to spy on LV for DD. And as we see when Snape brought 
the prophecy to LV he was not in DD's service but was just spying on 
DD. DD says himself that Snape was still in LV's employ at the time. 

So after Snape turned DD became the controlling organization by 
Snape's own agreement to work for DD to spy on LV. That also means 
that LV became the target organization. This is the same after GoF 
where DD send Snape back to LV to spy on him. 
In both cases LV is the target where information needs to be 
retrieved in order to help DD and not the other way around. 


Let's fill this in to the definition shall we? DD = controlling LV = 
target. 

A double agent (Snape) is someone who pretends to spy on LV on behalf 
of DD, but in fact is loyal to LV. Double agents (Snape) may be 
agents of LV who infiltrate DD (the Order), or may be previously 
loyal agent (Peter, but could also be Snape if he really turned the 
first war) of DD who have been captured and turned by LV.

Doesn't look that good now does it? But let's look at something else 
that is noted on the wikipedia site which seems to apply cunningly 
well too. 

Double agents are often used to transmit disinformation or to 
identify other agents as part of counter-espionage operations. They 
are often very trusted by the controlling organization, since the 
target organization will give them true, but useless, information to 
pass along.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_agent

Interesting isn't it that it is stated that double agents are often 
VERY TRUSTED by the Controlling organization (DD), since the target 
organization (LV) will give them true, but useless, information to 
pass along.
 
Coincidence that the controlling organization is DD and he so very 
trusts Snape? I think not. 

In the first part (of the second Wikipedia definition) it is stated 
that these agents are often used to identify other agents as part of 
counter-espionage operations. This means that DD as the controlling 
organization would have wanted Snape to identify the spy in the Order 
but as we see Snape never identified who the spy was in the first 
war, with devistating results I might add. 

So in the stricktest sense of the definition Snape is really working 
for LV but is pretending to work for DD and his Order. So I can only 
suggest that if people want to use definitions to proof Snape is DDM 
then they should first work out that definition to understand what it 
actually says. 

In Snape's case the target and controlling organizations can not be 
interchanged for the simple fact that from the readers point of view 
it is DD who Snape is supposed to be working for with the intention 
to retreive information from LV and not the other way around. Snape 
is supposed to be pretending to work for LV in service of the Order 
and not as the definition indicates pretending to spy on LV. 

Double agents do not truly work for the party they are send *by*, 
they truly work for the party they are send *to* and in both wars 
Snape is send to LV to spy on him and even if Snape was initially 
send to DD then it was never in a double agent role but merely a 
normal spy. Snape was supposed to infiltrate DD's organization which 
did not require his DE status to be revealed so in the strictes sense 
Snape made himself a double agent and this therefore could still 
indicate that he was and still is out for himself as he did not know 
if the prophecy would come true and LV would truly meet his downfall, 
so in a sense him revealing that he used to be a DE made it possible 
for him to still opperate as one but at the same time providing him 
with a useful way out if he ever needed one. 

JMHO

Dana