I can't believe I've missed this! I'm definately in! By the way, I was sorted to Ravenclaw. The questions were a bit obvious, though.
SPOILERS (HP5, HP6) in this post from this point on.
At 8/9/05 12:57 PM, TBF wrote:
Did anyone else notice how Dumbledore almost always seems to end up leading Harry right to Voldemort? I dont think Dumbledore or Snape are really who we think they are.
Are you suggesting Dumbledore's evil? The evidence against that theory is overwhelming. He has saved Harry's life so many times. It was Dumbledore who insisted that Harry must remain with his Muggle relatives, thus giving him a shield from Voldemort's wrath, since he is protected by his own blood. Also, was it not Dumbledore who appeared in the Ministry and saved Harry's life when Voldemort tried to use the Avada Kedavra curse against him?
On the other hand, I think you're absolutely right about Snape. There's no way he can be a real Death Eater, or loyal to Voldemort. He has saved Harry's life many times, too. The fact that he killed Dumbledore can be explained fairly easily: Dumbledore sacrificed himself. He ordered Snape to kill him. There's plenty of support for this theory in The Half-Blood Prince. Firstly, when Malfoy arrived at the astronomy tower, Dumbledore seemed perfectly aware of what he was up to. There's no one else who could have told Dumbledore about the plan, except Snape, who wouldn't have done it unless he was loyal to him. Secondly, read the bit in chapter 19 where Hagrid tells Harry about the argument between Dumbledore and Snape:
'Well, I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an' maybe he - Snape - didn' wan' ter do it any more -'
'Do what?'
'I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, tha's all - anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed to do it an' that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him.
As far as I'm concerned, Snape was feeling reluctant to kill Dumbledore, and in the end, Dumbledore is pleading to Snape to carry on with the plan and kill him. You might ask why Dumbledore would want to sacrifice himself. That's because in the bigger picture, it was the wisest thing to do. Now Voldemort trusts Snape more than anyone. He might even make him the Secret Keeper of his whereabouts. If this is the case, Snape could tell Harry where to find Voldemort in the end (assuming Harry won't try to kill Snape first). Furthermore, Dumbledore managed to confess to Malfoy that he could have had him killed any time to save his own life, but he didn't want to do it. Now Malfoy must feel that he owes his life to Dumbledore. This way, Dumbledore made sure that Voldemort has two people on his side that are likely to betray him. And somehow, Dumbledore must have felt he could help Harry more in death than alive. Kind of like Obi-Wan in Star Wars.
Another theory that I've been toying around with in my mind is the possibility of Dumbledore having a Horcrux. It seems unlikely though, considering that according to the book it's very dark magic, and probably something Dumbledore wouldn't want to have anything to do with. But it's possible. Dumbledore is ready to do whatever it takes to defeat Voldemort. The fact that he killed a dark wizard called Grindelwald (HP1) in the past would enable him to make a Horcrux. This Horcrux could be Fawkes the phoenix (an immortal Horcrux, how clever!). However, I doubt it, and I'm not sure I'd like it. Dumbledore's sacrifice would be meaningless if he could come back alive.
Sorry for the lengthy and slightly nerdy post :)