On Evil Characters; or, why Severus Snape isn’t One

I am certain that those of you reading this are shocked and appalled by the turn of events in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. For myself, I wasn’t so shocked by the death of Professor Dumbledore as I was by his murderer – undeniably, Professor Severus Snape. I immediately condemned Snape; I took all his reasonings, so carefully explained to Narcissa and Bellatrix in Chapter 2, to be the absolute truth, having been previously hidden in what we believed as lies. I believed this to be the greatest ploy of J.K. Rowling’s, for we, the readers, would never doubt Dumbledore. His word is like gospel, after all, and since his unshakeable faith in Severus Snape has been a constant from book one on, there was no way that he could be wrong. His death at the hands of one of his most beloved students was, I thought, Rowling’s coup de grâce. The New York Times said today (July 16^th) that: ”Harry will learn to re-evaluate the value of first impressions and the possibility that his elders' convictions can blind them to parlous truths.”

However, I have since come up with an alternate theory.

There can be no denying of the fact that it really was Snape who cast Avada Kedavra at Dumbledore. No, I do believe Snape killed Dumbledore.

On chapter 27, pgs 595-596 American, three nonconsecutive quotes:

“For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading.”

“[…] there was nothing but revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his [Snape’s] face.”

“ ‘Severus… please…’ “

Nothing will convince me that Albus Dumbledore was pleading for his life. It would be the most out-of-character thing that he has ever done; he was not the sort of man who would beg for himself. He did not plead Severus to save his life. In fact, I think he was pleading for Severus to kill him. It would be necessary for Dumbledore to plead this, because if he did not impart the desperation of the moment to Snape, it is entirely possible that he might not have done it.

I believe that what we are seeing here is that the revulsion and hatred on Snape’s face is not directed at Dumbledore, as our narrator would naïvely perceive, but in fact at his self. Harry is a biased narrator (he can’t help it, poor boy), but there is no need to believe everything he sees.

As to the next part of my theory, on page 583, same chapter, from Dumbledore to Harry:

“ ‘Tell him [Snape] what has happened, and bring him to me. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else, and do not remove your cloak. I shall wait here.’”

Dumbledore’s last action towards Harry was to petrify him; I believe this was in order to render him in a situation similar to the one in which Lily’s protection was cast on Harry. A baby cannot move or protect itself, and, under Petrificus, neither can Harry. This part is somewhat ambiguous because I’m not entirely sure what makes one sacrifice for love give protection and another not, but bear with me. As Lily’s death protected Harry, Dumbledore’s death would restore – or rather, place anew – protection upon him, another one made of love. (And I would dare anyone to argue that Dumbledore did not love Harry.) Of course, in order for that to work, Dumbledore needed to be killed…

Also, referring to above, I believed he needed to plead because otherwise, he might have died from the potion in the basin… and I don’t think that counts for the whole sacrificing-for-love’s-protection.

So why Snape, then? Why does Dumbledore leave such a miserable task to someone who he trusts and respects, to someone who will live with the horror of his task for the rest of his life?

Haven’t gotten there yet. But what convinced me of Snape’s torment is Chapter 28, “Flight of the Prince”:

“ ‘DON’T-‘ screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them – ‘CALL ME COWARD!’ “ (pg 604, American)

This convinces me. It was not a cowardly action that Snape took, but rather the most difficult thing that he could have done; one, I daresay, that Harry mirrored when he forced Dumbledore to drink the rest of that poisonous liquid.

As for Dumbledore’s golden trust in Snape that had apparently been misled:

“ ‘And Dumbledore believed that?’ said Lupin incredulously. ‘Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James…’ “ (Chapter 29, pg 616 American)

Well, I don’t think Snape was sorry (at least, not much) that James was dead. HOWEVER: we all know that Voldemort did not originally intend to kill Lily Potter. We still have no reason as to why he would suddenly develop squeamish tendencies for a woman of Muggle heritage. Though we know clearly that Voldemort has no comrades, I nevertheless believe that Snape might have been the reason Voldemort did not originally intend to kill Lily. I think he might have been, for reasons to possibly be unveiled in book 7, truly sorry and horrified that his treachery had caused her death. Let’s not get delusions of grandeur about unrequited love, but it’s entirely possible that he did harbor some reason for not wanting her dead – one great enough to make him deeply regret his part in it.

In a cheese-lined nutshell: Dumbledore pleaded for Severus to kill him in such a manner that would leave love’s protection once again layered on Harry. He was already dying from the cave’s potion, and so left as a sacrifice to the one person who can kill Voldemort. Snape, loyal to the bitter end, does as Dumbledore wishes and kills him, thus sealing his own ‘loyalty’ to Voldemort and fulfilling his Headmaster’s wishes. Oh, and saves Draco in the process, but forget about him.

In the end, I believe the NY Times is right; Harry must re-evaluate his first impression, the one he never got past – that Snape is a traitor.