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[ebonlock]

So I finished the book officially last night and I am now more convinced than ever that Snape's actions were all part of the plan. The argument is just vaguely worded enough to leave it open to interpretation, but Albus reminding him forcefully that he promised (not "vowed", but it could've been Hagrid's word choice) to do as he was told. Severus doesn't balk at many orders, but if it had been one to kill Albus...

Also why would Severus have worked so hard to save Dumbledore when he was injured destroying the first Horcrux? If the plan was that the old guy was going to die anyway, why not just let him during that injury and claim there was nothing he could do? And beyond that, why Severus rather than Madame Pomfrey? Because he and Severus were working more closely together than ever, and only Snape knew what Dumbledore was up to.

Beyond that, the final battle with the DE's was so...sanitary after Snape showed up. He makes sure Flitwick and the girls are safely back in his rooms, doesn't harm a person going in or coming out (save Albus, but again, that was the plan all along), and does nothing worse to Harry than dangle him upside down when he's at his mercy. Hell, he doesn't even get pissed until Harry calls him a coward, which, again, tells me that he's doing something mind bogglingly brave here.

I can't help thinking the bit in the cave where Albus makes Harry promise to do what he's told, even if it ends up causing Dumbledore harm, was his own subtle way of trying to tell Harry what Snape was up to. He almost does as well when Harry asks why Dumbledore insists on trusting Snape. He pauses, if you'll recall, then gives the standard line. To my mind he thought about it, then remembered what a weak ass Occlumens Harry is, and decided not to.

Again I've also got to point back to all of Snape's earlier actions, particularly his unconscious ones, as indicators of his true nature. His appearance in the Foe Glass when Barty Crouch Jr. is revealed (and recall that he stays in the Foe Glass longer than the other two), in the PoA film when he jumps in front of the kids not once, but twice to protect them from the werewolf, his subtle protection of Harry in book one when he realizes what Quirrell's up to. The list goes on and on.

I do think that Dumbledore's explanation for his turn to the good side, his sincere regret over the deaths of the Potters, may clue us in to more motivation for the character as well. I think he was a bit soft on Lily, perhaps in love with her, but fully aware that he meant nothing to her. She, at least, treated him decently, and I expect she was about the only one at school (or at home) who did. When Harry starts using Snape's notes to make his potions better Slughorn immediately compares his work to Lily's (not Snape's, whom we'd presume should have been one of his favorites because of his brilliance), which makes me wonder if Snape didn't help her out. Maybe he even let her take the credit for his own work. He doesn't seem to have been credited with any of the ingenious dark arts he came up with either which I find interesting.

Yes I may just be a Snape apologist, I fully acknowledge that, but I'm not buying this abrupt turn to the dark side. Dumbledore put him in a position he knew full well to be cursed (DADA), knowing the man wouldn't last more than a year and would be forced to leave, that makes no sense unless the plan was all along to have Snape kill him and take the final step towards complete acceptance by Voldemort. It's an end game strategy, there's just no question in my mind.

For more really brilliant Snape theorizing check out envyofthestage's essay on why Snape hasn't turned to the dark side. EDIT: And one more quick link to another summary that makes a lot of sense to me.

Now that I've got that at least temporarily out of my system, several things. First, poor Bill! Second, go Fleur! Third, Tonks/Remus is growing on me. Fourth, the Harry/Ginny "Spiderman" thing was kinda weak. Fifth, what was up with the drawing of Snape with a goatee? I mean is the Spock goatee thing now a universal indicator of "evil" or what? Sixth, R.A.B. has got to be Regulus Black, how much you wanna bet that locket is stashed somewhere at 12 Grimmauld place? Seventh, could Harry's scar be the final Horcrux?

So many questions and we've got years to wait for the answers...*sigh*

Comments

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

I like your Lily analysis. Would make Snape hate Harry even more, wouldn't it. Does fuck with our OTP, but I like it nonetheless.

1) Yes, poor Bill, but the very first thought to cross my mind was: werewolf slash! Ha ha. I almost wrote you an email entitled "two words" with just that message, but I didn't want to spoil anything.

3) Tonks/Remus will not grow on me, I'm afraid. It makes me gag a bit. And not just because of the age difference (but damn, come on, that's a bit gross).

4) The Spiderman thing *was* really weak. Especially her "oh, yeah, I figured...." Uh, what? You don't seem that heartbroken over it, there, sweetie. Maybe she's got Luna on the side anyway (as several fics seem to suggest). ;)

5) That was Snape? Whoa.

6) I honestly thought this was so obvious I was surprised she ended the book without the reveal.

7) Yep. Or Harry himself. This is my pet theory and one I'm happy to see others have as well.

2 years! I think I want to reread all the books start to finish. Not that I don't have a huge reading list as is.

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

3) Tonks/Remus will not grow on me, I'm afraid. It makes me gag a bit. And not just because of the age difference (but damn, come on, that's a bit gross).

Anything that makes Tonks happy makes me happy, personally (I kept making little unhappy noises every time she turned up looking miserable), but: I maintain that they've made Lupin/Snape/Sirius considerably older in the movies than they should be, and the age difference isn't really that big. 10-15 years, maybe (I'm not really sure of Tonks' age), but nothing like the 20 or so the movies would make it out to be. And even then, there's a big age difference (17 years!) between David and Alan, so it's hard to tell where we're supposed to place them, age-wise.

Not that I'd have Snape played by anyone but Alan, mind you, but it still skews things quite a lot.

I may need to clear out an icon so I can add an HP-specific one, hmn.

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

You're right about the age. According to the Harry Potter Lexicon's Wizarding Through the Ages (and those people have done much more research than I would ever have patience for), in HBP Snape and Lupin (born in 1960) would be 37 or 38. According to the Lexicon, Tonks was born in 1973. So only 13 years difference, but it still squicks me. But I guess I have trouble believing they really would be a good match. I think Tonks needs someone closer to her age (Charlie?) and Lupin... well, ya know, I think he's gayer than gay. :)

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Well, ok. See, I say that anything that makes Tonks happy makes me happy, but that's just because I adored her madly in OotP (the only real bright spot for me, in fact). Not as taken with her "pining wisp of a girl" role in HBP, but she's still at the top of my favorites list.

That said, and even given my defending the age thing (I dated a guy 11 years older than me once, which was only weird because he was rather more desperate and clingy than I was willing to deal with), I think Tonks/Lupin is kind of weird and arbitrary. It seemed obvious that Rowling would pair them up after HBP (but only because they were usually shown together), but with no real explanation for it or development, it just feels off. Kinda like Bill/Fleur, though at least we had inklings of that earlier, and I just don't care as much about them, in the end.

I think Tonks/Charlie would rock. I adored Charlie, too, and really wish he'd show up in a more important capacity.

I also wish she'd try blue hair for a change, though have vowed to dye my hair "Tonks-pink" for the next book-release party. O.O

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

I also wish she'd try blue hair for a change, though have vowed to dye my hair "Tonks-pink" for the next book-release party.

The lovely thing about that is it's at least two years off, and therefore conceivable that I shall attend said party as it will be local to me. :)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

1) Yes, poor Bill, but the very first thought to cross my mind was: werewolf slash! Ha ha. I almost wrote you an email entitled "two words" with just that message, but I didn't want to spoil anything.

I flinched every time someone looked over at Remus after wondering aloud if Bill would be wolf-i-fied.

3) Tonks/Remus will not grow on me, I'm afraid. It makes me gag a bit. And not just because of the age difference (but damn, come on, that's a bit gross).

Mmm, I did read a fanfic about the two hooking up that I rather liked a while ago. As we don't get the hookup in Book 6 I'm going to treat it as canon.

4) The Spiderman thing *was* really weak. Especially her "oh, yeah, I figured...." Uh, what? You don't seem that heartbroken over it, there, sweetie. Maybe she's got Luna on the side anyway (as several fics seem to suggest). ;)

I totally expected her to return, "Fuck you, I'm going with y'all regardless. And don't pull that white knight crap, you've seen me on the Quidditch Pitch, I can handle myself, thanks." Also, how classy is it to break up with someone at a funeral?

5) That was Snape? Whoa.

I think it must've been what with the flames behind him.

6) I honestly thought this was so obvious I was surprised she ended the book without the reveal.

Heh, note my icon.

7) Yep. Or Harry himself. This is my pet theory and one I'm happy to see others have as well.

But I think he might've been an accidental Horcrux, I'm not convinced V- meant to make him into the last.

[ebongreen.livejournal.com]

(6) Obvious only perhaps to those deeply DEEPLY immersed in the books. My reaction was, "Who the hell is RAB? Someone we haven't even seen yet?"

It does make Mundungus Fletcher's looting of 12 Grimmauld a bit more important in the grand scheme of things though.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

It does make Mundungus Fletcher's looting of 12 Grimmauld a bit more important in the grand scheme of things though.

Amen to that. How funny would it be if Harry actually had the Horcrux right there when he caught Mundugus and then let it go? I rather like the idea of it currently residing in a Wizarding pawn shop somewhere...

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Here I am checking my inbox repeatedly wondering when you were going to respond to my comment....

Somehow this came through as a new comment, not a reply.

3) Mmm, I did read a fanfic about the two hooking up that I rather liked a while ago.

Oh? Where's that?

4) Also, how classy is it to break up with someone at a funeral?

Luckily I'm just drinking peppermint water this morning and it didn't stain anything you made me spew it on. :)

5) I think it must've been what with the flames behind him.

Flamer behind him, you mean? ;) I'll check my copy tonight.

6) That icon ROCKS.

7) I totally agree, it must have been accidental. And yet, he has to realize it's there, otherwise there would be 8 horcruxes and not 7, right? This also makes Snape's line about "saving Harry for Lord Voldemort" more significant.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

3) Mmm, I did read a fanfic about the two hooking up that I rather liked a while ago.

Oh? Where's that?

Um, lemme check at home, I may still have it on the harddrive.

4) Also, how classy is it to break up with someone at a funeral?

Luckily I'm just drinking peppermint water this morning and it didn't stain anything you made me spew it on. :)

Having once been broken up with via email, I rate the funeral thing even lower...

7) I totally agree, it must have been accidental. And yet, he has to realize it's there, otherwise there would be 8 horcruxes and not 7, right? This also makes Snape's line about "saving Harry for Lord Voldemort" more significant.

Well Dumbledore wasn't sure he ever had the chance to complete the 6th Horcrux given his untimely..uh, whatever after whacking the Potters. So I'm not entirely sure either, but I think it makes for an interesting theory.

[ophidiae.livejournal.com]

What You Said.

Fifth, what was up with the drawing of Snape with a goatee?

If you go back and look at the illustrations for the American editions of the books, you'll see that the artist has always drawn Snape with a goatee. Guess that's just how she saw the character.

Back to work now...

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

If you go back and look at the illustrations for the American editions of the books, you'll see that the artist has always drawn Snape with a goatee. Guess that's just how she saw the character.

See this is why I have the adult editions, 'cause the goatee thing is so "Mirror Universe" it's not even funny. Also, you finished the book! Yay! Another person I know who can't possibly have lost faith in Severus :)

[ophidiae.livejournal.com]

Also, you finished the book! Yay! Another person I know who can't possibly have lost faith in Severus :)

Lose faith in Severus? NEVER! Why, the very idea....

And I finished the book at about 5am on Saturday morning. As the copy I had ordered from Amazon was going to be delivered to Colorado while I languished in Florida, I took it upon myself to go to the local midnight release party and acquire a copy that way. Got home around one am, made a pot of tea, curled up on the sofa, and read it cover to cover in one sitting.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

And I finished the book at about 5am on Saturday morning. As the copy I had ordered from Amazon was going to be delivered to Colorado while I languished in Florida, I took it upon myself to go to the local midnight release party and acquire a copy that way. Got home around one am, made a pot of tea, curled up on the sofa, and read it cover to cover in one sitting.

And it only took you 5 hours?! Good lord, I bow before your superior reading speed :)

[ophidiae.livejournal.com]

More like five and a half, but yeah. Of course, I was pretty damned tired and fuzzy-brained by the end, so I'm doing a second, slower read-through to pick up any details I might have missed the first time around.