Did Severus Murder

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 183201

Jack-a-Roe earlier:
The phrasing of "pierced" brings to mind something being damaged. The
fact that it is used twice before the word soul 
> led
> > me to inerpret the scene that Dumbledore knew about Snapes past.
> > 
> > Carol:
> > If that's the case, Harry's soul is damaged, too, since the narrator
> > says, "his blue eyes pierced Snape as they had frequently pierced
> > Harry." (It's used twice because one reference is to Snape and the
> > other to Harry.)
> 
> Jack-A-Roe:
> No, you are misinterpreting what I was saying. I said the phrasing
conjures the image in your head of something being damaged. Right 
before this we are talking about about Snape's soul. Then we are
talking about Snape being pierced by Dumbledore's gaze. To me it's 
> obvious that JKR was trying to get us to make the connection 
> ourselves. Because Snape does agree to do it.
> 
Carol responds:
In *your* head, I think you mean. Certainly not in mine. All that's
involved is a piercing gaze, as if DD is looking into Snape's heart
and mind, as he so often does with Harry. Legilimency may or may not
be involved, but to extend the "piercing" gaze to refer to a split
soul is reading in too much, IMO, especially since Harry has also,
repeatedly, been pierced by that gaze--and by Snape's for that matter.
Do you think that *Harry's* soul is damaged by DD's gaze, or that his
eyes piercing *Harry* indicate that Harry's soul is damaged? 

Anyway, to *me* it's obvious that Harry is empathizing with Snape,
having so often been in exactly the same position. (Sidenote: I wonder
just how often JKR uses the phrase "piercing blue eyes" for DD. In
earlier books, the eyes usually sparkle.) 
> 
Carol earlier:
> > Speculate all you like. I'm simply saying that *canon* gives us no
indication that Snape ever killed anyone besides Dumbledore, and some
> > indication (his concern for his soul
> 
> Jack-A-Roe:
> Canon may not say it specifically, but it is an obvious 
interpretation of the scene to me. Snape asking about his soul sounded
more like him complaining that Dumbledore liked Draco better than him.
 Something like "your more worried about his soul than mine" to which
DD responds that only know if yours is already damaged. After that
Snape nods as if to agree with DD that it won't make it any worse.

Carol responds:
But that *isn't* what DD says. He says, "You alone know whether it
will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation" (DH
Am. ed. 683). So Snape has to decide whether this act is murder or
something like euthanasia, a humanitarian act. If it's murder, it will
split his soul. If it's an act of kindness, rescuing DD from a worse
fate, perhaps it won't. It has nothing to do with any previous actions
he may have committed. 

Jack-a-Roe: 
> One of the next scenes we see after this is Snape again being
somewhat childish. It's the one where Snape is complaining to DD that
he is telling Potter things that he isn't telling Snape and DD tells
him to come to his office later on. Again it comes across as you like
him better than you like me.

Carol responds:
You seem to be forgetting the context. Snape is saying, in essence
(and truthfully, IMO) that DD is making unreasonable demands on him
(in particular the request to kill DD, which Snape is having second
thoughts about, despite his Unbreakable Vow) without fully confiding
in him. Again, we have a parallel with Harry, who thinks almost
exactly the same thing: "Look at what he asked from me, Hermione! Risk
your life, Harry! And again! And again! And don't expect me to explain
everything, just trust me blindly, just trust that I know what I'm
doing, trust me even though I don't trust you! Never the whole truth!
Never!" (DH Am. ed. 362).

Harry understands *exactly* what Snape means when he says "You trust
him . . . you do not trust me." After all, Snape has lied and spied
and risked his life repeatedly, and now Dumbledore expects him to
perform what Snape sarcastically calls "that small service" (killing
DD) without telling him everything. DD apparently realizes that Snape
has a valid point and deserves to know more (not to mention that he's
afraid that Snape will refuse to kill him if DD doesn't demonstrate
his trust) because he responds with, "come to my office tonight,
Severus, at eleven, and you shall not complain that I have no
confidence in you. . . ." (685).

I was struck by the parallels between Harry's situation and Snape's,
as well as their similar reactions. it's just a shame, IMO, that Harry
didn't know earlier exactly how much Snape had done, how many dangers
he had exposed himself to, for Dumbledore and for Lily.

Carol, who does not deny that merely belonging to a terrorist
organization, not to mention revealing the Prophecy, made Snape an
accessory to murder but sees no evidence whatever that he killed
anyone directly before committing the "murder" on the tower at DD's
request