Do you believe Severus Snape is a good guy?

[dhinojosa]

Poll question: Do you believe Severus Snape is a good guy?

Do you believe Severus Snape is a good guy?

[LWolf]

1. I think so.

I don't know that I believe DD's death was "planned" between the 2 of them. I'm not sure what DD was pleading for, at the end. But I believe that Snape was Dumbledore's man, just as Harry claims to be. I believe that Snape is working through redemption for both himself and his house. I think he is a more powerful wizard than he's been given credit for, and the HBP reveals some of that.

It's been made clear why he doesn't like Harry; having been on the receiving end of the bullying from James and friends as a child and a young man. Perhaps that resentment, and those experiences helped propel him from an interest in the dark arts to becoming a death eater. Still, who didn't trust Quirrel in the Sorcerer's Stone, and who was chanting protective spells during Harry's first Quidditch match? Who figured out where Sirius Black was, and rushed in to save the kids there? In a crisis, he is there working to protect the kids, and battling his own demons, I think.

I think he'll be there for DD, for Hogwarts, and for Harry at the end. I think he will try to redeem Malfoy, as well.

[Pithy Cherub]

4. But could Snape have been "fattening" Harry for the kill

similar to the faux Moody in Goblet of Fire? Snape has the wildest sense of timing that puts him in the thick of everything on both the evil side and the good side. Snape also allowed his abhorence of Harry to be visible to everyone. That was either a controlled action so the Slytherin death eaters kids would be manipulated into conditioning their parents or because Snape was unable to have empathy.

Snape gave the illusion of protection and the illusion of great harm.

I remain torn...:shrug: I really am conditioned to trust Dumbledore's judgment, but sometimes even the greatest have blinding lapses.

[LWolf]

5. He could have been.

I keep second-guessing Rowlings. I keep thinking that she made Snape as unappetizing as possible, and created conflict between he and Harry, as a red-herring in the on-going mystery surrounding Snape. It seems obvious that we are supposed to suspect him, and to wonder about him, from our first meeting with him in book 1. I'm not surprised that she plans to write mysteries after book 7. ;-)

It's also possible that Harry will be required to face the distrust, anger, and dislike he feels toward Snape before he can finish off Voldemort. Sort of like hate leading to "the dark side" and Dumbledore's emphasis on love being what makes Harry different from V. Or perhaps Snape's defection is real, and Dumbledore believes that the care and respect he's experienced under DD's tenure will bring him back in the end.

It's also possible that Snape, being more intelligent and accomplished than most recognized, has been playing the double/triple/etc agent for V all along. I don't think Dumbledore underestimated him, though, and for some reason that Rowling hasn't seen fit to bring to light at this point, Dumbledore was sure of Snape's loyalty. If he really did send Snape to martyr himself, or be the scapegoat, by taking and fulfilling that oath, it seems like way too much to expect from anyone, let alone someone whose loyalty is suspect. If so, I pity Snape.

I don't know why I find it easier to pity Snape than Malfoy; he's such a total shit. I know kids are the product of their parents and their upbringing, I know his attitudes can be understood, I just don't have any empathy for him at all. Or for his mother who is desperate to save him. She helped make him what he is, after all. Still, I'm betting that Snape converts Malfoy and helps him to redeem himself at the end; part of the cleansing of Slytherin and unification of the houses.

[Pithy Cherub]

6. Truly wonder if JKR actually meant these to be children's books.

But Scholastic came through first and maybe because the point of view was a child's. But now during this the boy has become a man at the tender age of 16. The life journey has had consistency on Harry's POV with all of his cool logic under fire and angst over real or imagined slights.

But the lessons are very adult oriented. She has clearly stated that one of her passions is about children thinking for themselves even in the face of demanded conformity and rigid rules.

Draco is the quintessential bully who wants to buy everything and earn nothing just to enhance his personal reputation. Slughard dismissing him was interesting because for some reason, I actually winced on that "Ferret's" behalf. Draco's home life is of luxury without boundaries. Snape has been his father figure and formative role model. Now that's cursing and hexing a kid without a wand.

I remain torn about Draco as he is not exactly your go to guy in a crisis, but Snape may be the leader now with Bellatrix & Cissy cheering on more oppressive deeds. Snape is the most foul person to waste a Grinch-like redemption on. It's like saying Newt Gingrich is a proud liberal. Blech! Jury is still out, but I am more predisposed towards believing Snape sees the Light.:shrug:

[XemaSab]

2. I can't say for sure

I suspect he is, but I'm sure that regardless of whatever we come up with between now and book 7, we will get a big surprise at the end.

Rowling was asked in an interview if Snape's a good guys, and she said "Well you've read the books, what do you think?" And then she cackled demoniacally. Demoniacally I say.

[Coventina]

3. As another poster said, "Dumbldore trusted him & I trust Dumbledore"

IMHO, it would make Dumbledore's death just far too sad if Snape did indeed betray him.

[WildClarySage]

7. After a *lot* of denial and introspection, I think Snape is, in fact,

evil. I was misled by my own crush on Rickman-as-Snape, and didn't want to believe it, but what finally brought me round to the EvilSnape POV was thinking of what Harry was to learn from DD's demise. He had to learn to rely on his own feelings and impressions. Sure, DD trusted Snape, but Harry didn't. That means one of them was wrong. Our boy hero is now a young man, and the experience of betrayal gave him the confidence to trust himself and his gut feelings.

This will make Harry a more dagerous adversary in the 7th book, so You-know-who had best beware.

[robbedvoter]

8. He's evil. If 7 tries to make him otherwise, I'll feel manipulated.

Whatever doubts there were before , they were solved at the end of POA. For me at least.

[AmandaRuth]

9. No.

I mean, HE FRIGGIN' KILLED DUMBLEDOR!!!!!!

[robbedvoter]

10. Finally, someone notices the obvious! Thanks.

I thought I was going nuts!

[opiate69]

15. But, did he??

Remember back in OOTP, when Harry tries to use an unforgivable on Bellatrix, she chides him about "you have to really mean it!" A big part of me still thinks it was planned between DD and Snape, so Snape could really prove his loyalty to LV.:shrug:

[intheflow]

11. I don't think Snape is evil.

An unlikeable asshole, yes. But evil? No. I think he'll be redeemed in the last book by coming in at the last second to help save Harry's ass, but may die doing so. I do not think he and Harry will reconcile into being buddies, or even like each other, but I do think in the end they will have a mutual respect for each other.

I base this on three things:

1) Snape has saved Harry's ass on more than one occasion. (Book 1, countering Quirrel's curse; Book 3, he attempts to save Harry from Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack; Book 6, he's still "teaching" Harry as he's fleeing Hogwarts.)

2) Dumbledore trusted him beyond question. Yes, he killed DD, but I subscribe to the Snape was doing as DD asked" theory. Yes, DD has been wrong on a couple things, but I just can't see the greatest good wizard in the magical world trusting a Death Eater without damn good reasons.

3) The potions book belonged to Snape, but Rowling wrote a number of times in HBP that the potions book had become a friend and adviser to Harry. I think this foreshadows an advisory role of some sort for Snape to Harry in Book 7.

My 2¢, anyway.

[dbonds]

13. But...

"Book 3, he attempts to save Harry from Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack" Snape knows who was working with V. He would know Sirius Black had nothing to do with it and was just a patsy. He was not there to save Harry. Could he have known about scabbers and wanted to make sure he escapes? Did he see this as a chance to kill Black? Was he just being a teacher and wanted to put Harry in detention again?

[Twillig]

12. I don't care.

I want him DEAD!
I want his family DEAD!
I want his house burned to the ground,
I want to go there in the middle of the night and piss on his ashes!

[redsoxliberal]

14. in a funny way, I feel that this is the most important question in book 7

if he is, Harry will have to find the 4 horcruxes and kill voldy without inside info (unless RAB (AKA regulus) has left other info somewhere in #12 GP.)

If he's not evil, Snape, having killed DD, will have serious inside info and be a very good teacher to harry.

I am so unsure of it though... you REALLY have to mean an AK.

[Mist]

16. I'll never think he's a "good guy" but that doesn't exclude him being

on the SIDE of good. He's the most enigmatic character--personally awful but DD trusted him for years. And I thought it was obvious he was pulling his punches when he and Draco ran from Hogwarts. He could easily killed Harry, but didn't. He spend most of his time deflecting Harry's attacks. I wonder if Snape's going to be in trouble with Voldy for not just getting rid of Harry when he could have. WildClarySage makes an interesting point about HP trusting his feelings; he's never trusted Snape, and yet DD did, so one of them is wrong. We'll just have to keep spinning theories on this until book 7!

[Matilda]

17. Suppose DD was going to die anyway?

He was 150 years old, and wizards do die. Did he want Snape to kill
him in a particular way that would prevent LV using his death in some
way, as he might have been able to do had Draco carried out his
bidding? Perhaps Draco would have gained some greater power if he'd
been able to carry out the deed, and perhaps - because as DD said, he
wasn't really a killer - it would have destroyed any hope of bringing
Draco over to the side of the Order.

Perhaps DD had been weakened more than he admitted by his destruction
of LVs ring, and knew his time was approaching - he was in quite a
hurry in Book 6 to pass knowledge on to Harry. And that last journey
to the cave certainly brought him very close to death - perhaps he
knew he wouldn't survive that night no matter how things turned out.
Did he want to get to Snape to be cured - or to have Snape make sure
his end was quick, and couldn't be used by LV in any way?

There's obviously something we don't know about the reason DD trusted
Snape - it certainly wasn't just because he expressed remorse about
leading LV to the Potters; it had to be something more than that.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

18. I think it all depends on if we trust Dumbledore.

:shrug:

[XemaSab]

19. The more I read the books

the more I think that the critical issue is less about whether Snape is trustworthy, than whether Dumbledore himself is trustworthy.....

[YellowRubberDuckie]

20. I don't even know how to respond to that...

I honestly think Dumbledore is more trustworthy than ANYONE in those books.
Duckie

[XemaSab]

21. I'm not saying Dumbledore's a death eater, far from it

but if he makes a mistake, it's in trusting people too much. I think it's already shown that he trusted Snape too much in allowing him to be a bullying git, and even though he apologized to Harry, I don't think he "got" that Snape treated many/most of the students really badly. However, it did occur to me that Trelawney might not be the only person inside Hogwarts for their own protection...

edit: spelling

[semillama]

22. I just read HBP over xmas

and I think it's obvious what Snape was doing with Dumbledore, but I don't know if it would spoil anything to state it. I voted for him being good, though.

[XemaSab]

23. Can you explain further?

I think we've all read HBP at this point, and I'm down for alternate suggestions.

[semillama]

25. Check out my post in the Sister's theory about HBP thread.

basically I put forth the possibility that DD had SS kill him in order to create a Horcrux out of the "fake" locket. But that all hinges on whether or not you can create a horcrux for someone else's sole, not just yours. I guess we'll find out!

[Matilda]

24. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Snape had made the Unbreakable Vow - if he didn't support Draco to the hilt, including killing DD
if necessary, he would die himself. Assume he'd told DD he'd had to take the oath, or be exposed
as DD's man. DD must have been weakened by stealing LV's ring, more than just the blackened hand,
and knew he couldn't stand another such ordeal, and instructed Snape that if it came to a choice,
Snape must kill him - figuring that Snape is younger and a very strong wizard, and he (DD) is
now weak and less useful to Harry than Snape. When he returned to the village after the attempt
to steal the locket, he must have known the end was near, and when he asked Harry to take him to
Snape, he may already have had in his mind that if Snape couldn't cure him, he must make sure that
Snape would kill him, rather than let Draco do it. He was still trying to save Draco too.

I know that JKR can spring all sorts of surprises, but I have to hold on to the thought that DD
was the wisest wizard, and wouldn't make a mistake like trusting Snape without excellent reason.
I also suspect that the reason he wouldn't allow Snape to teach DADA was because LV made sure that
every wizard who taught that subject was dead or forced out within a year, and DD didn't want to
put Snape in that vulnerable position, because Harry was going to need him later.

How am I doing?

[XemaSab]

26. The part about not letting Snape teach DADA

because it would put him at risk is a new one on me, and I likee... :D

[Matilda]

27. Thank you!

It came to me when reading HBP, and it was mentioned that none of the
Dark Arts teachers lasted more than a year, one way or another, and
I thought, ah, maybe that's why DD won't let Snape teach - because that
had been puzzling me, and made me wonder whether DD really did trust
Snape. But if it is for his protection, then it starts to make some
sense.