Snape at the Lightning Struck Tower

HamletÐŽ¦s ÐŽ§to be or not to beЎЁ may have been discussed for years, but right now it is ÐŽ§is he or is he not.ЎЁ The most ambiguous character in HP, I think, and his greatest ambiguity is which side are his loyalties really on. Yes, I am referring to the Potions Master, the dreaded darkness of the dungeons, Severus Snape. Probably the most mysterious of the main characters, Snape has been a subject of heated debates ever since DD told Harry in PS/SS that Snape wanted to save Harry so that he could go back to hating JamesÐŽ¦ memory. Intrigued? You bet we were. Every time we think we are beginning to understand him, we learn something that throws it in our face. Every answer we get about him sparks a score of new questions. And there is, of course, the million dollar question ÐŽV ÐŽ§Which side is he really on?ЎЁ

Post HBP, some fans could barely control their fury, hatred and loathing towards him. Others believe that he really had no choice, that he did what he had to do, or that he did it on DDÐŽ¦s orders. There is of course also the group of fence-sitters, but as they do not sway the balance either way, IÐŽ¦m ignoring them. The majority, however, are decided. To most, SnapeÐŽ¦s murder of DD has sealed him off as a bad guy, and there are mutterings of ÐŽ§I could have told you thatЎЁ from many corners. Many have switched sides from the I-donÐŽ¦t-think-Snape-is-evil camp to Snape-is-a-slimeball, b*****d, #@&*!$.

LetÐŽ¦s take a look at what exactly Snape does that nightÐŽK

Our first look at Snape that night is up the Astronomy Tower, with a weakened DD, an invisible immobilized Harry, Draco and 4 DEs. Just before Snape kills DD, when DD is pleading with him (for life or death?),

ЎҐSnape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his faceÐŽ¦

This revulsion and hatred have caused quite a lot of confusion among fans. The Snape-is-evil group takes it at face value, that Snape is revolted by and hates the sight of DD, and is finally able to show it. The counterargument is that Snape was revolted, not by DD, but by what he had to do. Snape, at first sight can make out the following things:-

„« DD does not have his wand

„« Draco has lost his nerve

„« The other DEs are willing to kill DD

He may or may not have seen HarryÐŽ¦s broom.

Now what is Snape to do? He knows that due to whatever barrier has been created on the stairs, no one can come up, and so he canÐŽ¦t stall for reinforcements. HeÐŽ¦s on his own. He can either kill DD. But Snape doesnÐŽ¦t want to do that. OK then, Snape has the chance to do just one spell before the others are onto him. Draco is no threat to anyone, Snape can kill or disable one DE, but that leaves 3 more DEs. Any of them could disable (or kill) Snape, and then kill DD. So whatever he does, DD is not going to make it. DD has to die. If Snape does not kill DD, he will die because of the Unbreakable Vow. So the logical choice, the practical choice, the only choice for Slytherin Snape is to kill DD so that only one life is lost, not two. And this is exactly what he does. However, he is appalled at what he has to do, and this shows in his face. There is also the possibility that DD foresaw such a scenario, and instructed Snape to kill him in this situation. In this case, DDÐŽ¦s plea becomes a plea for death, a plea that Snape do as was agreed upon, and SnapeÐŽ¦s revulsion is of what he has to do.

OK, now that he has shown himself as a DE, it makes sense to keep that up (at least to the other DEs). So he tells everyone to get out of there (obviously, jobÐŽ¦s done, get out), actually grabs Draco by his neck and shoves him down the stairs. All through this flight, Snape merely tells the others to leave, but grabs Draco and makes sure that Draco gets away. Why? Because heÐŽ¦s still bound by the Unbreakable Vow, in which one of the terms was that he will, to the best of his ability, protect Draco from harm. Snape and Malfoy leaving first and leaving together gave them 3 advantages. One, the last one on the tower top got cursed by Harry. So if Snape had known of HarryÐŽ¦s presence on the tower, he would have understood that Harry must have been immobilized by DD, and when DD dies, Harry will be able to move and fight. So he gets Draco out first. Two, the members of the Order and the students below assume that they are running away from the DEs, and do nothing to stop them. And three, the other DEs get held up fighting, while Snape and Draco manage to get clean away. Even when he turns to fight with Harry, Snape makes sure Draco gets away first.

Now comes the really interesting part. Harry tries to curse Snape, again and again and again, and what does Snape do? Fight back? No, he merely deflects and blocks the spells. Now if Snape really was a DE, why would he not curse Harry just once for old timeÐŽ¦s sake? If Snape the teacher can torture Harry the way he does, DE Snape can surely indulge in a little CrucioÐŽK HeÐŽ¦s not even in a rush anymore, heÐŽ¦s standing and talking to Harry, just not fighting back.

The dialogue in this scene is also very important. The first thing Snape says to Harry is,

ÐŽ§No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter! You havenÐŽ¦t got the nerve or the ability ÐŽVÐŽ§

This line can be interpreted as a taunt at Harry, and at first is strikingly similar to what Bellatrix says at the Ministry when Harry tries to Crucio her,

ÐŽ§Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you boy? You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause painЎЁ

However, look closely at SnapeÐŽ¦s wording, and it could also be advice. SnapeÐŽ¦s statement has been viewed by many as foretelling that Harry will never be able to use an Unforgivable Curse successfully, because he hasnÐŽ¦t got the ability. Now we all have seen that Harry is, indeed, a very able wizard. So what could Snape mean? Harry has a limitation that does not allow him to use an Unforgivable Curse, read BellaÐŽ¦s statement, and you realize that it is indeed true, Harry is lacking ÐŽV in the instinct for cruelty, the desire for someone elseÐŽ¦s pain. As we have been told repeatedly, Harry is too full of love, and this is what limits him. Every time Harry has tried to use Crucio, it has been in a quest for vengeance, revenge for the death of a loved one. But as Bella says, and she seems to be quite the expert