Now I'm completely at a loss about Snape. Through the last five books, I've detested him right along side Harry because of how nasty he's been. Except I've always figured there was something we (the readers and Harry) didn't know that explained why Dumbledore trusted him so much. I figured eventually we would learn a big secret, and even after Chapter 2 of HP6, when Snape made that Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mother, I figured he was acting as some kind of double agent.
So now I have no idea what to think. Clearly he is evil. Clearly he is working for the dark side. So why do I keep thinking there is some other explanation? Why do I keep expecting Dumbledore to pull a Gandalf and explain that Snape had faked everything?
What if Snape was under an imperious curse or something? Or had been ordered by Dumbledore to do so, and Harry finds the memory and can view it in the pensieve? And what about the pheonix thing in the end? I think that's going to turn out to be something more.
I think there's more to this than meets the eye. JK Rowling hasn't been one to resort to stereotypes yet.
