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

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 171543

>  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."

> Dana:
> (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) 

zgirnius:
That is beside the point. The point is that, in contrast to what Alla 
suggested in her post, a double agent is not necessarily OFH. The 
definition is about the relationship between two sides and the agent. 
Either or both sides may be *wrong* in what they believe of the 
double agent, but the definition still describes the idea of what a 
double agent is supposed to be.

> Dana:
> 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. 

zgirnius:
This is not the point of view of readers who believe Snape's 
statements in Spinner's End. Snape states he was sent to Hogwarts by 
Volemort (controlling organization) to spy on the target 
(Dumbledore). He further states that Voldemort is happy Snape stayed 
at that post, and that Voldemort is happy with the intelligence he 
provides about Dumbledore. All of which indicates Voldemort believes 
himself to be the controlling organization of Snape, and Snape's 
target is Dumbledore. Wrongly, IMO, but my opinion is not based on a 
definition, but on the evidence I see in canon for DDM!.

Snape's position vis-a-vis his two masters at the start of HBP is 
pretty darned symmetrical.

> Dana:
> 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. 

zgirnius:
It is possible Snape's DE status was already known to Dumbledore 
before Snape got his order from Voldemort to get the teaching 
position he got two months before the Potters died. We do not know.

At any rate, his being a double agent certainly does not preclude his 
being OFH, DDM, ESE, or a combination.