Professor Snape....?

Question

Is Snape really a bad guy? It would appear so, but there's also plenty of evidence that he's just deep cover. What do you think, and why?

Yeah ive read the sixth book...that's why I'm asking this. Dumbledore and Snape argued, according to Hagrid, over Snape balking at what Dumbledore ordered him to do. I think he ordered him to carry on with the unbreakable vow. I agree with the first post - Snape's just in too deep and hates himself for it.

P.S. thanks for all the feedback I love Harry Potter questions a lot of people always have a lot of good opinions about them!

Answer 1

I think that Snape is a good guy but just in so deep that he can't show it. I also think that he hates himself for what he had to do (killing Dumbledore) and he will make up for it in the end. I think he just has a grudge against Harry because of James picking on him, and the secret crush he always had on Lily.

Answer 2

Snape is an iffy. I am not entirely sure either way. Dumbledore hinted that he had a good reason to believe that he was in fact on his side. Dumbledore seemed to know, somehow, of what was to happen in the sixth book. Maybe he thought that his death was essential to Voldemort's demise? But there is the fact that Dumbledore pleaded to Snape....but that may have just been a show. Snape is an extremely powerful wizard, underrated by many. His alliance with either group will be a major factor in the race against the Voldemort. In a way, I would rather not be aware of his allegiance.....I want to be surprised in the seventh book, and I hope that Rowling doesnt choose to do the obvious things with it....such as Regulus being RAB. Anyway, I am merely ranting....

Answer 3

i think snape is bad...but possibly may turn good. because he is a double/triple agent, he has a lot of power on his side. if he chooses to be for voldemort, he has a lot of info. however, if he chooses to be w/ the order, he can do a lot of damage as well. however, he is shaky in his loyalty..esp now after having to kill dumbledore. there was a part in #6 right after snape killed D, and harry ran after him, and tried to catch snape, and snape screamed in a "demented" fashion...perhaps then he was torn between his duty, and his loyalty, and what was Right and Wrong. biting the hand that feeds u eventually takes a toll, especially when Dumbledore always trusted in snape. i guess we'll just have to see what happens in 7!

**it's true, i think dumbledore did want snape to kill him. however, maybe he knew that snape was intending to do so AND STILL go to the dark side...and he was begging him to do the right thing, which was kill him, and then continue his double agent duties For the order. all i know is, it's gonna take a LOT to get harry to trust snape even one little bit, even if snape IS good.

Answer 4

I think that Snape really is a bad guy. I think that he went to Voldemort and joined the Death Eaters because he wanted to become more powerful. Like Lucius, he has done well for himself while Voldemort was gone and probably doesn't like that he is back putting him in danger. I think he wants to be rid of Voldemort, but because he heard the prophesy, he knows Harry has to be the one to beat him. I think that is why he has kept him safe and gave him advice (in 6) even though he really hates him. Dumbledore thought he could trust Snape, but he has made mistakes before. I think he knew about the Unbreakable Vow, but was asking Snape to do something to work against Voldemort (when Hagrid overheard). I don't think that Dumbledore was asking Snape to kill him -- he said that killing is the ultimate act of evil and tears the soul. He wasn't begging for his life either because he isn't afraid of death. He was probably begging him to keep Harry safe, fearing that Snape had gone over to Voldemort's side again. But, I think that he hasn't been truly loyal to Voldemort or Dumbledore since Voldemort lost power 16 years ago. He's been a *free agent* and loyal only to himself.

Answer 5

yep, he is a good guy; just like Harry Potter, Severus Snape is a Dumbledore's man through and through, which would be evident once you flip through all the books keeping in mind this point of view. He worked on Dumbledore's orders, and also, he never let Harry suffer a scratch from the 'Death Eaters' (personally, I think they are too much of cowards to be called by that name) or any characters he thought was evil ( namely, Sirius Black). He always intervened between Voldemort or his followers when they attempted to kill or harm Harry, and the reasons he pointed out to Bellatrix Lestrange for doing so are pretty lame, which you'll know once you think it over,he saved Harry just for the sake of saving him.

Answer 6

Eh.... I think Snape is really a "good" guy, but the farther I read in HP, the more I doubted it. He is extremely anti-social, to put it lightly, did a lot of questionable things, but Dumbledore consistently trusted him. At the end of Half-Blood Prince, when Dumbledore said, "Snape, please..." etc., a lot of people spectulated on whether Dumbledore was begging for his life or begging Snape to kill him quick. I just can't see a man as great as Dumbledore begging for his life, so I'm thinking he wanted Snape to kill him.
As for his vendetta against HP, it's just a grudge he had against Harry's dad, James. While he hated Harry, I don't think he actually wanted the kid to die. (Remember, he technically owes James a favor for saving his life from the Whomping Willow)

Answer 7

Snape disappointed me the most. I hope Rowling has better ideas than Snape was a bad guy all along or even Snape was a bad guy, turned good for a while, then went back to the dark side. If that's the case, then any depth that I may have once thought that Rowling's characters had (for about, ohhhh, a minute or two) has been misguided completely. The bad guys are the bad guys, and the good guys are the good guys, and there's no ground in between. How disappointing. Bleh. For all her poking fun at the Homeland Security's phamplets and commercials advising people in the US to have a plan of action and to be prepared in their homes in case of an attack (or some other not-very-well-defined bad thing that might happen to us), she then goes off and embraces the old "evil is evil and good is good, and ne'er in the middle shall they meet" attitude in her characters.

Answer 8

All I can say is I hope not. It would disappoint me on so many different levels. Most importantly it would make Dumbledore the great fool. And make Voldermont that much more powerful. I hope he is deep under cover. And if you think about it Harry could have just as easily been the one to kill Dumbledore that day, as he keep feeding him that potion not knowing if the next cup could have killed him.

Answer 9

Snape is a very complex person. He comes from abusive home and the only woman he ever loved married Harry's Father. He only became a double spy because he felt bad that Lily died instant of Harry and James. I think Snape reported his finding about Harry to Voldemort to get rid of James and Harry and have Lily all to himself. Apparently Lily was the only girl that show any compassion for Snape; and it is for his love for her that has caused Snape to become a double spy.

Answer 10

My speculation only, no facts. Snape is a good guy even if he is not particularly likable.

Dumbledore was dying anyway from destroying horcruxes. He wanted his death to be useful in the battle against Voldemort. He told Snape to kill him so Snape could win the trust of Voldemort and be in a position to help Harry.

Dumbledore always trusted Snape and told Harry to trust him also. It is unlikely that Dumbledore could have been so mistaken for so long.