Is there a good equivalent of a Horcrux? Whether there is or not, does Dumbledore have one? Snape?
Does his portrait in the headmaster's office count? I'm just presuming he can't come back to life through it, but it seems like a benevolent magic designed so he can play Obi-Wan to Harry's Luke at least one more time.
In general, I think you give Snape a lot more sympathy than I do, which means, of course, more sympathy than he deserves. I think you're right about his ultimate loyalties and intentions, though. Especially the point about how he just can't keep his temper around Harry, no matter the stakes or the plan.
But for me, the ultimate decider is this: It just wouldn't be an interesting story if it turned out he was evil all along and Dumbledore missed it. He's too OBVIOUSLY evil. His tale only becomes interesting when we find out that he's had a good reason for everything he's done, and he isn't just a duck that walks and quacks like a duck but that Dumbledore somehow mistook for a sheep. And JKR has her faults, but being boring and patently obvious generally isn't one of them.
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Does his portrait in the headmaster's office count? I'm just presuming he can't come back to life through it, but it seems like a benevolent magic designed so he can play Obi-Wan to Harry's Luke at least one more time.
In general, I think you give Snape a lot more sympathy than I do, which means, of course, more sympathy than he deserves. I think you're right about his ultimate loyalties and intentions, though. Especially the point about how he just can't keep his temper around Harry, no matter the stakes or the plan.
But for me, the ultimate decider is this: It just wouldn't be an interesting story if it turned out he was evil all along and Dumbledore missed it. He's too OBVIOUSLY evil. His tale only becomes interesting when we find out that he's had a good reason for everything he's done, and he isn't just a duck that walks and quacks like a duck but that Dumbledore somehow mistook for a sheep. And JKR has her faults, but being boring and patently obvious generally isn't one of them.