The Snape Debate

Which side is he on?

Some think he's always been in league with Voldemort, others think that he's only out for himself and will change allegiance based on how it suits him best and some poor fools believe he is on the side of good but has some particularly nasty character flaws. I'm in that camp!

For me the evidence is in the timing of JKR's exposition that Snape is a spy. If he had been a genuine spy, she would have left it until the end chapters of Half Blood Prince as a brilliant twist. Because we know of his duplicitousness towards the beginning, I think this sows some seeds of doubt and we get time to think "Why is Dumbledore still trusting him and what is it that Snape has to do that they have argued about?"

Timing isn't the only issue. We haven't really got to the bottom of Snape's relationship/feelings towards Lily Evans and I think these are key. So even though he hates James Potter maybe these feelings are amplified by the fact that he loves Lily and she chose James. This explains the relentless grudge (part of his character flaws) but also a deep sense of guilt that he inadvertently set Voldemort on Lily and her baby.
Because Harry looks so much like his dad (and to be fair does disregard the rules, is self important and arrogant too), Snape is extra mean to him- hatred by association. If it's good enough for Sirius, it's good enough for Severus.

I think the key relationship is that of Snape's with Dumbledore. All we know about Snape is that he hasn't led a very happy life but he's a very talented wizard. Neither has been explored very much but think about it. JKR has allowed us (and even Harry) to feel sorry for him because of the memory of him being tormented by James and Sirius. He hasn't formed any meaningful relationships as far as we can tell throughout his life (bar that with Albus) and he hasn't really got good social skills as he appears to be on the outside in what ever situation he's in (Order of the Phoenix, school, as a teenager). These points seem to indicate that he's a loner and that he's probably likely to be just out for himself. The one thing that claws it back is his relationship with Albus Dumbledore. Albus gives him a second chance, he trusts him explicitly, offers him protection from Voldemort and employment. We know very little about his parents (only their names, that his mum was the Gobstones champion and not very good looking and that his dad was a muggle), I was wondering whether he considers himself to have been orphaned/abandoned by his parents and therefore starts to feel a connection with Voldemort which then leads him to pursue the Dark Arts? I think that this will be revealed in the final book. I do believe that his anger at being called a coward betrays that he has sacrificed considerably to kill Dumbledore who I think is more than a friend, but a father figure to Snape. Dumbledore ordered him to do it and Snape has obeyed. He knew that he was to become Judas and betray/kill his only friend but the whole series of events that will unravel in book 7 will only do so because of that act. No wonder he's miserable!

Snapes talents are never much discussed either but let's just take stock: he's a master potioneer, making antidote for Lupin and being the one that Dumbledore wanted to see after drinking the poison rather than going to Madam Pomfrey. He is the Half Blood Prince and has made corrections to umpteen potions to make them more easily, more effectively at the same age as Harry (Harry definately isn't that studious or clever and I don't think Hermione is too).
He has a talent for making up spells: levicorpus and sectumsempra are both his.
He is skilled as an Occlumens and a Legilimens, both of which we are told are difficult disciplines.
He has considerable duelling skills and would appear to be an allround good teacher (for considering that Harry hates him, he still gets a very good grade in his OWL)
I'm sure there are other indicators of his talent but JKR has gone into significant detail to show us his talent whereas another well rounded teacher like McGonagall is very good at Transfiguration and is a great teacher but we have no indication that she has any other talents.

We don't know why Dumbledore was so convinced that Snape was on the right side but I think additional information will become apparant in book 7.

All in all it will be highly disappointing that JKR has built up all this character for him just to be a twisted and evil bastard in the end. I was hoping that we might have three different examples via her books
1) someone who has an awful childhood and they go off the rails (Voldemort)
2) someone who has an awful childhood and comes good (Harry)
3) someone who has an awful childhood, goes off the rails but then come good (Snape)

Snape is the embodiment of redemption (see yesterday's themes). Without that, her books will be a little 2 dimensional. With it we know there are people we may not like but they are on our side and we just have to get on with it. (This has triggered another theme in my head and that is Choices- the choices we make define us and our destiny. Harry had an equally bad childhood as Voldy but didn't choose to torture other kids or steal. He also chose not to go into Slytherin house whereas V would've done. Snapes choices means that Harry will never trust him however much Dumbledore reassures him etc)

By the way, I think that Snape will die but it will be made clear by JK that he risked everything to carry out the wishes of his only friend and to rid the world of Voldemort. A true hero.