Harry Potter: Why Snape is "Good"

Warning!!!! Contains spoilers if you haven't read the books!

Okay, so these will be musings from a couple of years back when I actually read the sixth book. I'm afraid I had it worded better back then, but I just wanted to get the gist of my thoughts out before the seventh book hits stores. I don't know if anyone has already covered these ideas. I can't believe that I would be the only one, but I have not ready other blogs or fan sites. These ideas are purely my own.

When I finished the sixth book, like most readers that I know, I began trying to guess whether Snape was still good and whether Dumbledore was really still alive or not. I became somewhat convinced that Snape was still working against Voldemort, not with him. If this is the case, my ideas have more significance if Dumbledore is dead, so I will go off that assumption. As much as I like Dumbledore, I had felt for some time that he had to die in order for Harry to step up to the plate and really take charge.

Anyway, many around me would throw out conjecture as to whose side Snape was on. I believe that, not only is Snape still "good," but that I know WHY he is still "good." (I put good in parenthesis because, in many ways, he is still a hard, hate-filled man.)

I will now explain Snape’s motivation for staying true to the Order of the Phoenix, and why I hope J. K. Rowling thinks the way I do.

In book after book, Harry would argue that Snape couldn't possible be good or trusted: look how mean he is, he hates me because he hated my father and I remind Snape of my father, etc. Despite all of Harry's arguments, Dumbledore could not be convinced. Dumbledore was adamant that Snape was truly on their side and not Voldemort's. Was Dumbledore really so blind, or did he know something that Harry didn't?

Before I get to that, I need to cover the subject of love. Love has been a theme throughout the books. It was his mother's love that saved Harry from Voldemort at the time of her death and it was that same love that saved him when he touched Prof. Quirrell's skin, etc. Dumbledore has brought up the power of love over and over again. I believe that he referred to it as the most powerful kind of magic, one that Voldemort could never understand. Voldemort couldn't, but could Snape?

Harry saw a memory that exemplified why Snape hated Harry's father. It showed James Potter de-wanding him, lifting him up in the air, and devising ways to tease him even more. No doubt, this seems to be a good enough reason to dislike someone and, perhaps, their offspring. This is what Harry always focuses on. As an example, when Harry speaks with Dumbledore about how information Snape provided to Voldermort lead to James and Lily’s deaths, Dumbledore says that Snape always felt bad about being involved in their murders. Harry disagrees and cuts in with the same, tired argument that Snape hated his father. However, in focusing on this, he fails to look at his other parent. In the memory of Snape being teased, it was his eventual mother that rescued Snape from James. Throughout the books, Harry’s arguments always send the reader in one direction: Snape hated James Potter. Wouldn't it be truly poetic if J. K. Rowling set the stage where Dumbledore not only knew that love was more powerful than any magic (or hate for that matter), but that he was the only one who knew that Snape loved Harry's mother?

I realize that Snape didn’t seem to like her help in the memory and he even called her a “mudblood” at that point, but I’m not saying that Snape is the most likeable character. He may have been torn between his disgust for “mudbloods” and his feelings for one.

If that's the case, what would that explain? Yes, Snape hated James Potter. He thought of him as a mean, cocky bully. He hated him for those reasons, but how much worse would that hatred deepen if this boy he hated ended up with the only person (besides Dumbeldore) that every stood up for him; the only person that ever showed him any kindness; the only person that he ever... loved? I believe that Snape had feelings for Lily Potter. That fact would deepen his hatred for James and, likewise, create hatred in his heart whenever he sees Harry, but Harry is still Lily's child. No matter how much he hated James his love for Lily is stronger. Dumbledore knew of Snapes feelings for Lily and he knew the power of love. That is why he was so sure that Snape was not a traitor to their cause. He may be a somewhat loathesome man. He may not feel any real loyalty to Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix, Harry, but he IS loyal to Lily's memory. James won her heart, but Voldemort stopped her heart. No matter how much he hated James, his love for Lily causes him to hate Voldemort even more.

Snape was forced to kill Dumbledore. As Snape steps out and reviews the situation, Dumbledore pleads for him to do it. He's not pleading for him to save his life, but to end it. Dumbledore knew that it was necessary. Harry discusses the look of hatred and revulsion on Snape's face as he kills Dumbledore. This was not his hatred for Dumbledore being displayed, but his hatred and revulsion for what he had to do. Dumbledore (excluding Lily) may have been the closest thing to a friend he'd ever had. As Harry chases after Snape, Snape deflects spell after spell while, in a sense, offering advise on how Harry can improve. Snape doesn't attack Harry. In fact, he stops others in his party when they do so. Snape is getting sick of Harry's persistence, but it's interesting that he doesn't reach his breaking point until Harry calls him a coward and tells him to kill him like he killed Dumbledore. That made him angrier than ever before. Killing Dumbledore had been extremely difficult for him. He hadn't wanted to do it. He hated that he had done it. And here was Lily's child, the offspring of who he was fighting for, calling him a coward when he had just done the most difficult and brave thing he'd ever done in his entire life.