Another take on what happened

[eloise_herisson]

Tinker
Tailor
Soldier 
Sailor
Rich man 
Poor man 
Beggarman
SPY!

Thanks to Dungrollin for comfort, :-)  but I had another thought this 
afternoon.

I don't like it.

OK. Posit for just a teeny moment that our Severus *is* ESE. (Don't 
laugh, you Snape revilers!) Now, what's given me pause for thought is 
that there have been times when Snape could have let harm come to 
Harry but he's deliberately intervened. Why should he do that? Why 
not let him fall off his broomstick? Why not let him go wandering 
round Hogsemeade when (apparently) a murderous Sirius is looking for 
him?

This *does* make some sense if we assume that Snape is a real 
Slytherin, whose concern is only for himself. Assume (as Sirius said 
of Pettigrew) he just aligns himself with the biggest bully in the 
playground and that, as he tells Bella, he *did* believe Voldemort 
dead, or at least out of action for the forseeable future, then what 
was the harm in aligning himself with Dumbledore, even to the extent 
of protecting Dumbledore's favourite from harm?

Then the golden opportunity came. Dumbledore sent him back to spy on 
Voldemort. He abides his time. Voldemort has been in no hurry to 
escalate the war, so he can carry on, as he thinks convincing 
Dumbledore more and more of his usefulness and loyalty.

Dumbledore, however, knows more than Snape thinks. He knows that he's 
not really on his side; he knows of the plot on his life. Dumbledore 
has a plan, which involves the sacrifice of his own life, an event 
(his death at least) virtually forshadowed in CAPSLOCK, but Snape is 
*not* in on it.

So by the time we get to the Lightning Struck Tower, we have a 
Dumbledore prepared, willing, wanting even, to be killed and a Snape 
who has taken an Unbreakable Vow to do the deed if Draco fails. 
Dumbledore manipulates the situation as we see: he makes sure Snape 
is summoned; he gives Draco time to back down; oh so politely (as we 
see him speak to the Dursleys) he commands Snape to do what he must 
do if he does not want to die himself. 

And in that moment, Snape knows. It's the fulfilment of the curse on 
his particular year as DADA teacher - he must do the deed that 
somehow sets into motion an ancient magic which ensures that 
Dumbledore, though dead, will never truly leave those who need him. 
He's been tricked, he's been manipulated into doing what Dumbledore 
wants. Dumbledore has won and he hates him for it.

I think this pretty well fulfils the criteria that JKR outlined in 
the Leaky interview. She didn't want to shut down enquiry along the 
line of DD's death being planned, however she was also implicitly 
dismissive of the idea that Snape's not evil and it was a conspiracy 
between them.
 
Talk me out of it, someone.

~Eloise
Whose final straw is the unrevealed proof of loyalty.