Why Professor Snape is Still a Good Guy

WARNING: This article contains many spoilers. If you are not finished reading the Harry Potter series through Book 6, it is highly recommended that you do not read any further.

Alright, well the obligatory spoiler warning is over, so now the real fun can begin. As you all know, Book 7 is looming closer and closer with each coming day, and it's time for everybody to make their last few predictions about the series before everything comes to an end. Here are my thoughts, and the thoughts of quite a few Harry Potter fans out there.

If you're reading this far, you know that at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (referred to as Book 6 from here on out), Professor Severus Snape kills Headmaster Albus Dumbledore with the Avada Kedavra curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses. As shocking and appalling as this was for us all to read and experience, Snape's actions do not solidify his position in the war of good and evil. He may be a true member of the Order of Phoenix at heart.

Throughout all of Book 6, Dumbledore makes one thing very clear to Harry: Dumbledore does not matter anymore. Everything from here on out is about Harry. As per the prophecy, only Harry can face Voldemort at the end. The most Dumbledore can possibly do is ensure that in the end, Harry is ready for the battle and surrounded by people that can help him out.

This idea leads very well into the next piece of evidence. Before Snape finally kills Dumbledore, Dumbledore pleads for his life. Dumbledore is perhaps the greatest wizard of all time. The only one the Dark Lord every feared. Even in his weakened state from the injuries that arise as part of Harry and Dumbledore's Horcrux mission, Dumbledore would never plead for his life. This is completely out of character.

It is interesting to note that when Dumbledore pleads, he never mentions anything about Snape not killing him. No, instead Dumbledore just begs. What is Dumbledore begging for? Simple. The same thing that Snape and Dumbledore argued about in the woods when Hagrid overheard them. Dumbledore needs Snape to protect Harry. He needs Snape there to assist Harry when he finally comes face to face for his final battle with Lord Voldemort. To Dumbledore, Snape is crucial to Harry's life and indeed the well-being of the entire wizarding community.

Dumbledore and Snape must have been arguing about Dumbledore's life. If the situation arised where Snape had to choose between blowing up his cover with the Death Eaters and killing Dumbledore, Dumbledore wanted him to kill him. Thus, when Dumbledore begs Snape, he is not by any means begging for his life. Rather, Dumbledore is doing the opposite: begging Snape to TAKE his life.

Dumbledore's selfless actions ensure that Snape will be trusted by every Death Eater and Lord Voldemort from here on out, without hesitation. This should allow Snape to be close to Harry when the final battle approaches, and without a doubt a good guy working with Voldemort will prove invaluable for our beloved hero.

Works Cited

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2005.