The following are links to some interesting Harry Potter related commentary and analysis:
- This is a pretty thorough and convincing analysis of Snape’s background and why he is, despite murdering Dumbledore, still working for Dumbledore’s cause.
- “Harry Potter and the Half-Crazed Bureaucracy” is the abstract (I can’t seem to access the whole article, but the abstract is still worth a read) to a law review article about the Ministry of Magic.
- ASL Library contains a series of links (including the one listed above) to more law-oriented articles about the world of Harry Potter.
Anyways, I still have Potter on the brain and will until I see Goblet of Fire.
As an antidote, I think I’ll be reading a nice short work of nonfiction next: River Out of Eden by Richard Dawkins.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
I just read the link on Snape explaining why he’s still working against Voldemort.
Interesting circumstantial evidence.
I’ve also had the inkling that Snape is still loyal to Dumbledore . . . or to Dumbledore’s legacy. I can’t quite reconcile this inkling with his having killed Dumbledore — unless he knew that he had to do so. Perhaps the poison would have killed Dumbledore anyway, and much more painfully, or perhaps the poison had the power to turn one over to the dark side. Something has to explain Snape’s action, assuming that Snape is truly against Voldemort.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
I think the key is the Unbreakable Vow Snape made at the start of the book. He had to finish Malfoy’s task or his cover would be blown. If Snape is Dumbledore’s and thereby Harry’s best chance to destroy Voldemort, I could see Dumbledore willingly dying to maintain that secret. It would be very Ben Kenobi of him. More here.
Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if we learn later on that Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to Dumbledore, which would explain why Dumbledore trusts him so thoroughly.
Of course if the Snape-loved-Harry’s-mom argument works, I guess it’s possible that Snape couldn’t care less about Harry or Dumbledore and would like to just get revenge on Voldemort.