not giving Snape credit?

[jmwcfo]

No: HPFGUIDX 169208

> Sherry:
> >who cannot accept any spin on that event.  I don't believe in 
murdering your
> >general, leader and mentor, the only one who wholeheartedly 
believed in and
> >supported you.  I've not yet heard *any* explanation for it that 
makes it
> >work for me.  I don't believe in murder for the so-called greater 
good.
> >Once JKR said DD is definitely dead, she took away any lingering 
doubt for
> >me.
> 
> Bart: 
> Have you considered this one: Dumbledore should have died when he 
tried to break the curse on the ring. Only quick thinking and action 
managed to, temporarily, keep death at bay, but it could only slow 
down death. Between this and the potion he drank in the cavern, 
Dumbledore was going to be dead within an hour or so. Dumbledore had 
previously extracted a promise from Snape: "If I am going to die 
anyway, kill me, so at least my death will help cement your position 
and further the cause." Snape did not murder Dumbledore as much as he 
pulled the plug on a terminal patient for whom the life support 
system was on the verge of failing, at the patient's request. Also 
given this, he had no problem taking the Unbreakable Vow, because he 
knew that he was eventually going to be the one to "pull the plug" on 
Dumbledore. 
> 
> In this scenario, Snape had three choices: 
> 1) Kill Dumbledore (or remove the life support system he created, 
under the guise of an AK spell). 
> 2) Let someone else kill Dumbledore, killing Snape in the process 
(for failing to fulfill the unbreakable vow). 
> 3) Break his cover, probably die in a battle with the Death Eaters, 
and Dumbledore dies anyway.
> 
> Note that in all 3 scenarios, Dumbledore dies. Do you really find 
it unforgivable for Snape (on Dumbledore's request) took the path 
which would best help achieve DD's goals?
> 
> Bart


JW:
While I do not believe in DDM!Snape, I believe Bart has summarized 
his speculation on DD's strategy quite nicely.  

To further Bart's interpretation, I paraphrase Snape in Spinner's 
End: I think in the end *he* means me to do it ... but *he* is 
determined that Draco attempt it first.

In the context of the Spinner's End conversation, "he" refers to LV.  
However, an alternative interpretation is that, in Snape's mind, "he" 
could refer to DD. This would assume that Snape had prior knowledge 
of LV's plan (as Snape claims), and that Bart's hypothetical 
conversation between DD and Snape had already occured.