Snape: friend or foe?

Question

I originally thought foe because he killed dumboldore, but it might have been a trick and he might still be alive, hmmm...............what do you think?

Answer 1

I think he could be a foe, due to him killing Dumbledore. But there is more evidence leaning towards friend, like Dumbledore (the one thing Voldemort is afraid of) putting trust in him, and more on page 132 of Book 3, in which Snape says he'd rather not see the Boggart lesson. What kind of Death Eater wouldn't want to see Harry Potter's greatest fear?

Answer 2

nicely, i became interpreting all the solutions to this question and they have some valid and lifelike factors made, yet I nevertheless stand agency on the idea that Snape is a foe and that he's not a buddy as all of them imagine him to be. i comprehend that From Sorcer's Stone to order of the Phoenix it really is been "shown" time after time that he's with Dumbledore and that he's with the Order and with the "reliable adult men" attempting to wrestle away the darkish Lord and the death eaters, yet the position became he at the same time as they fought the darkish Lord and the death Eaters so as of the Phoenix? He did not come to the rescue at the same time as the Order went to wrestle. or perhaps notwithstanding 0.5 Blood Prince is truly deceptive and misguiding, the first area of the e book deals with Snape talking to Bellatrix and explaining all the failings he has performed for the darkish Lord and he explains the failings we imagine were in simple terms noble movements of his area. Snape is unquestionably a foe, because it really is shown at the same time as he kills Dumbledore. no count number what absolutely everyone would say, even the excuse that he "wanted to assist Draco out and did it on his behalf" would not make me waver slightly. And extra to characteristic, his very close friendship with Lucius Malfoy performs a function the following, if he became with the Order and Dumbledore, then he would not be so on the point of Lucius, it really is between the most straightforward and maximum evil death Eaters on Voldemort's military. i'm able to fully comprehend your attitude, and there are quite some issues that factor to Snape being a buddy, yet i do not comprehend if it really is my Prosecuting criminal specialist senses that make me lean in to trust the worst, yet I absolutely ought to say, there is truly some aspects that make me trust that Snape is completely only a foe attempting to conceal himself as a buddy, and being in each and each area, hence a traitor in each element. even notwithstanding all of this can be genuine, I nevertheless love him ?.

Answer 3

jk has confirmed that dumbledore is indeed dead. however i still think snape is a friend (or at least not a foe, he may be a a lone agent just trying to keep himself alive/out of jail)

Answer 4

Snape isnt evil. Dumbledore is dead!
So this is what I have posted over a year ago at some potter communities! I guess that shows why I have been thinking that way:
this is my long statement towards this. I don't think innocent is the right word for Snape, but I don't think he is evil.
He has killed Dumbledore. Yeah I think that's true.
But here my reasons why he is not evil

1. Dumbledore might have know that he would die anyways after drinking the poison. Also at the begin of the journey with Harry Dumbledore did know that he might die. Dumbledore as well as Snape are occlumentics. So Dumbledore might have let him know that he would die and ask Snape to make the curse. He didn't want to loose Snape as a spy and as he would have died anyways...
If Dumbledore wouldn't have killed it would also have been more worse for Draco. Draco would have been very very badly punished...
And we allready know from book 5 that Dumbledore can make look things different then they are (when the ministers try to catch him).

2. Wormtail being at Snape's house... Couldn't that be that Voldemort didn't really trust Snape and let Wormtail be there as a spy. This would also show that Snape needed to do something that made Voldemort trust him.

3. He has saved Harry's life. I doubt it was only because of Dumbledore. Would be no real reason. He could have said he couldn't do anything etc.

4. I think he might have been in love with Lily and that's propably also the reason why Voldemort didn't wanted to kill Lily.
I think Snape has propably told him of this profecy, but he made an arragement with Voldemort that he shouldn't do anything to Lily. (remember Voldemort didn't wanted to kill Lily at first)
As an occlumentic and powerfull poisen maker Snape was a very good men for Voldemort. And for Voldemort it was not important wether Lily lived or not.
At the end Voldemort broke this promise and killed Lily.
That could be the reason why Snape got back to Dumbledore I think.

I am not the person who desperatly wants Snape to be good, but I think he is.
Well maybe not really good (still remembering the way he treats Neville) but good to Dumbledore.

Just read the passages with Snape again. What I can say is now: I have allways known that Snape is not on Voldemords side, but this book made me 100% sure that he's against Voldemort!!!

1. Snape explaining reasons to Bellatrix for not killing Harry
Snape says why he hasn't killed Harry at first is because he thought Harry might be a new dark wizzard and the new leader of them. Harry the new leader and Snape doing what he wants????! Never!!!! Snape always saw James in him and Harry had from the begin on the feeling that Snape dislikes him. Snape would never excepted Harry as a new leader not as a dark magician as as a good!!! He only wanted to have a reason for not killing Harry. And Bella needs to belive it.(it shows again that there was no real reason not to kill Harry)

2. Wormtail wanting to spy as Snape talkes with Narcissa and Bellatrix
Wormtail spying at the door (Snape hurts him with his wand and he runs away). This could also support the theorie that Wormtail is spying for Voldemort, as Voldemort doesn't really trust Snape


3. Snape tells he knows about Voldemorts plan
I don't think he knows of Voldemorts plan with Draco. He only acts like he knows, but in reality he has no idea. If you reread the passage: Snape doesn't say one sentence which let show that he knows about it.
He gets it all to know from Bella and Narcissa and they don't even know. They just think he knows everything and tell them part to part whats happening.
This could be another sign that Voldemort didn't trust him.

4. After Harry and D. arrived after the Horcruxes...
Dumbledore asked imidiatly to call Snape and not Mme Pomfrey. He might have seen that Mme Pomfrey couldn't help him anymore that he would die anyways. That he would die anyways shows also how week he gets in the tower. He gets weaker and weaker and even the Death eaters recognise. Belive me guys he would have died anyways!!!!

5. The Scene where Dumbledore gets killed by Snape and speaks to him.
Do you really think this strong wizzard would ever demand or implore for his life if someone wants to kill him??? No, I never think Dumbeldore would ever ask for his life!!!! I think that he speakes to Snape that way has a completely other meaning. He's demanding Snape desperatly to kill him, because he would die anyways. Snape doesn’t want to that’s why he’s asking him so much. Read that passage again and read it onder that aspect and you will see it completely different. Further would Draco be killed by Voldemort (and as we know Dumbledore would ever prefere to die himselfs than let a student be killed)

6. Snape saves Harry’s life again as an other Death Eater tries to kill him. He says the Death Eater should leave Harry for Voldemort.

7. Snape just uses Expeliarmus while fighting with Harry. He could have cursed him etc., but he didn’t do!

8. As Harry tells Snape „Kill me like you’ve killed him, you coward“ Snape seems to feel so much pain etc. Why should he feel so bad only because Harry called him coward??? No!!! Harry has called him coward before. I think that makes him realize that Dumbledore is really death and that he really did it at the end no matter if Dumbledore would have died anyways. He feels pain because he has lost the only person that really seems to like him and support him. That’s why he feels so much pain. And I feel so sorry for him at that part :(

Answer 5

Dumbledore is not coming back. However, I think maybe Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him. Instead of pleading for his life, he could have been pleading for his death. He was quite old, after all. Either way, I say "friend."

Answer 6

I think he is a good guy. it may be just the idea that I believe that JK Rowling wants us to think him a bastard. But in the end I think he is going to do something heroic. or essential. but He is horrible. true.
I think it has something to do with the bloodlines in the whole story, because of the gleam of triumph in the eyes of dumbledore when Voldemort had taken harry's blood. but it remains speculation.

Answer 7

i agree w/ u, but it is kind of difficult to say. i've been pondering this question ever since i read the book a second time, something just doesnt feel right about it, but that might be because it was dumbledore. hopefully our question will be answered in deathly hollows

Answer 8

I havent made up my mind maybe he's going to die saving Harry in the next book but i still think that there is something creepy about him

Answer 9

I've never liked the guy cuz he is played by the Sherrif of Nottingham. I've never been able to see him as a good guy, so I believe Snape is evil.

Answer 10

I am kind of tied 50/50 with him. He could have killed Dumbledore because Dumbledore asked him.(see website) Or he could have been on the dark side. But check this out:
1. Snape Lies to Narcissa and Bellatrix... Twice

During the meeting that Snape has at his house with Narcissa and Bellatrix in chapter 2, Snape tries to explain to them why he never killed Harry all those years at Hogwarts when he had ample opportunity:

"Of course, it became apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He has fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends. He is mediocre to the last degree..." (HBP pg 31/36)

But we know Snape knows this is a lie. We know Snape knows that Harry is a powerful wizard. We know he knows Harry is a parselmouth. We know he knows Harry could conjure a corporeal patronus when he was just 13 years old. We know he knows Harry has stood up to and prevailed against Voldemort five times!

But not even one whole page later, Narcissa is crying to Snape she has something she wants to say, but has been forbidden to talk about by Voldemort. Snape immediately replies that she should follow Voldemort's orders, and sister Bellatrix agrees. But Snape appears troubled by the conversation:

But Snape had gotten to his feet and strode to the small window, peered through the curtains, and then closed them again with a jerk. He turned around to face Narcissa, frowning. (HBP pg 32/37)

What happened to make him jerk the curtains closed all of a sudden and turn back to the women, frowning? Has he had a revelation?

It is only at this point that he confides in them that he already knows the plan, that Voldemort has already told him. He's lying again!

If he already knew the plan, why would he have taken the position, just one moment earlier, that she should follow Voldemort's law and not speak of it?

We know Snape is a powerful Legilimens, we learned that in the Occlumency scenes with Snape and Harry in Order of the Phoenix. Just in case we forgot about Legilimency, J.K. mentioned it just a few pages ago. Questioning Voldemort's trust in Snape, Snape interrupts:

"You think he is mistaken? Or that I somehow hoodwinked him? Fool the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen?" (HBP pg 26/31)

Having just been on the verge of spilling the beans to Snape, Draco's assignment must have been top-most in Narcissa's thoughts, and in the quiet moment at the window, Snape saw it in her mind. He then lies to them about already knowing the plan, to gain their trust.

So, at the same time that Snape is trying to convince Narcissa and Bellatrix that he's worthy of Voldemort's trust, we can see he is lying to them, several times. That can only mean that Snape isn't as loyal to Voldemort as he'd like Bellatrix and Narcissa (and us!) to believe.

2. What Hagrid Overheard

Harry is talking to Hagrid after the poisoning of Ron, and Hagrid lets it slip that he overheard something he shouldn't have:

I was comin' outta the forest the other evenin' an' I overheard 'em talking -- well, arguin'. ... I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an' maybe he -- Snape -- didn' wan' ter do it anymore ... Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it." (HBP pg 405/380)

This clue comes right out and tells us that Snape is following the orders of Dumbledore, although we now see whatever Snape has promised to do for Dumbledore is difficult or unpleasant.

We also now have comfirmation that Dumbledore has a plan, which involves Snape, and Dumbleore is confident that the plan that Snape has agreed to will proceed.

3. No DADA Teacher Has Lasted More Than 1 Year

For every Hogwarts year that is documented in the Harry Potter books so far, it stands out prominently that there has been a different Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher each year.

They even joked about it at the beginning of the previous book, when the kids are looking over their just arrived book lists for the year, and they're wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book, as it meant Dumbledore had found a new DADA teacher:

Fred told Harry ... "Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year." "Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" said George. "One sacked, one dead, one's memory erased, and one locked in a trunk for nine months," said Harry, counting them off on his fingers. "Yeah, I see what you mean." (OotP pg 161/146)

And in Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron and Hermione talk about this again when they are surprised at the sorting feast that Snape will be DADA teacher that year:

"Well, there's one good thing," [Harry] said savagely. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year." "What do you mean?" asked Ron. "That job's jinxed. No one's lasted more than a year...Quirell actually died doing it..." (HBP pg 167/159)

Ironically, it turns out, Harry was literally right. When Tom Riddle returned after a ten year absence to again request to be a teacher at Hogwarts, Dumbledore rejected him, and upon Harry's questioning, Dumbledore gave us some important insight into the Hogwarts DADA teacher situation:

"Was he after the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again, sir? He didn't say..." "Oh, he definitely wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job," said Dumbledore. "The aftermath of our little meeting proved that. You see, we have never been able to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year since I refused the post to Lord Voldemort." (HBP pg 446/418)

So, Dumbledore himself is admitting he knows that Voldemort cursed the DADA teacher job. This means he knew about the curse when he assigned Snape to the job this year. But he never intended Snape to be in the job for longer than a year to begin with, as his plan for Snape to kill him and flee at the end of the year must have already been in place.

4. Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

When Snape comes into the bathroom after being alerted by Moaning Myrtle, he knows instanly that the Sectumsempra curse was used to injure Draco, because he goes right to work on him using the proper countercurse to reverse the damage. He then takes Draco to the hospital wing, ordering Harry to wait for him there.

When Snape returns, he asks Harry where he learned the curse, and Harry says he saw it in a book in the library. Snape puts his Legilimency to work again:

"Liar," said Snape. Harry's throat went dry. He knew what Snape was going to do and he had never been able to prevent it... The bathroom seemed to shimmer before his eyes; he struggled to block out all thought, but try as he might, the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion Making swam hazily to the fore-front of his mind. (HBP pg 524/490)

Snape then demands Harry bring him his books, Harry makes a detour and hides the book in the room of requirement, bringing Snape Ron's copy of the book instead.

Snape must know Harry's trying to pull a fast one on him, he knows Harry has the book, he saw it in his mind. But instead of pressing the point, Snape just gives him a dozen detentions.

Why would Snape do this if he wasn't still working for Dumbledore? He lost his temper with Harry when he demanded Harry bring him the book, but then even though Harry lies to him about it, Snape remembers who's side he's on, and backs off.

5. Severus... Please...

If you believe that Snape is acting on Dumbledore's orders to kill him (or possibly just make it look like he killed him, although he'd probably still be hurting him), then Snape's demeanor and Dumbledore's final words take on a whole new meaning.

...somebody else had spoken Snape's name, quite softly. "Severus..." The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading. Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. ... Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face. "Severus... Please..." (HBP pg 595/556)

In that passage the reader is supposed to believe that Snape hates Dumbledore and feels revulsion for him.

But to help us understand the real meaning of Snape's feelings of revulsion and hatred, J.K. used almost the exact same words for what Harry was feeling just one chapter previous:

"You...you can't stop, Professor," said Harry. "You've got to keep drinking, remember? You told me you had to keep drinking. Here..." Hating himself, repulsed by what he was doing, Harry forced the goblet back toward Dumbledore's mouth ... (HBP pg 571/534)

Even though Snape was to kill Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders, it must have been something that was still really emotional and difficult for Snape to do, exactly as it was for Harry to make Dumbledore drink the potion.

The feeling of revulsion on Snape's face was not for Dumbledore, but the act he knew he had to commit. The hatred was not for Dumbledore, but for what Dumbledore was making him do.

And when Dumbledore said, "Severus... Please..." he wasn't begging "please don't". What he was really saying was, "Severus, please kill me, as you promised you would."

Way back at the end the first book, when Dumbledore confirms for Harry that Flamel would die now that the philosopher's stone was gone, Dumbledore explained:

"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." (SS/PS pg 297/215)

Does that sound to you like someone who would beg to save his own life?

I'm going to say he is a FRIEND.