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[Rictasempra]

This has to do with Snape working for himself. I implore you to read the editorials, they make excellent points. I just have a bit more to add.

You can find the Machivelli theory here
and you can find Melissa Walker's summation of the BJ Texan's theory here
Basically these theories say that Snape has been the mastermind behind everything that has happened in the first six books, and even Lord Voldemort is a red herring- which would provide one of the biggest twists in literary history as Snape would become the next Dark Lord. They say that using Harry, since Snape already killed one wizard more powerful than he (dumbledore), he will kill Voldemort. This implies that Snape only gave parts of the prophecy for his own benefit, not Dubmbledore's.I take no credit for these editorials, but I think I could elaborate a bit more and add a few more possbilities that ties in with some of the hints JK gave us.

In her editorial, Melissa states that:

I agree totally that Snape will become an even darker foe than Voldemort easily able to murder Harry because he doesn't have a weakness to love. I'd like to add a bit more, however.

This is what I think:

First, let's start with the Prophecy:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." (underlined and bolded by me)

Could not the other be Snape? Think about it, Snape gave a little bit of the prophecy to Voldemort so he could mark Harry as his equal and eventually lead to his own downfall. We know that Snape heard the whole prophecy because Trelawney said he burst through the door after she had awakened from her trance. I presume that Snape told Voldemort not to kill Lily when he goes to Godric's hollow to kill Harry, that's why Voldemort told her to step aside. From little excerpts in the series, and clues from JK, we know that Snape loved Lily.

In book 7:
So Snape has already killed Dumbledore the previous year, and all that he has as an obstacle is Voldemort, so his carefully laid out plan comes into play where Harry kills Voldemort. Snape immediately comes into play as the next Dark Lord. It is my prediction that Snape is immediately going to try and kill Harry (this is when Lily's eyes come into play), and as he raises his wand thinking about all the pain James and others have caused him, he looks into Harry's eyes and thinks about the only one who he had ever loved- Lily. He is not able to kill Harry and his brief spell as the Dark Lord ends. Ironically, I believe both Voldemort and Snape will be fall due to love- Voldemort because love kills him, and Snape because he betrayed his love (Lily). if you read the editorials, it states in Machiavelli's The Prince, that a leader should be as crafty as a fox. In HP6, before Narcissa and Bellatrix enter Snape's house on Spinner's end, a fox passes them, and one of them says, "it was just a fox". Now, why would JK just put a random fox there- it could have been anything. It may have been a coincidence, but honestly, I would never think of writing in a fox just for the sake of it- it has to have some kind of meaning. This leaves others to speculate if Snape's patronus is a fox- hopefully we will find out in the next book to help confirm this. I think that Snape is not in the same league as Voldemort or Dumbledore- only the two of them make up their own league. What Snape has is an immense talent in craftiness, he can worm his way out of any situation. Plus, why would he need to be in the same league as them if they were both eliminated anyway? That's the reason he's using Harry to defeat Voldemort, because he knows he himself cannot. At least that's what I believe

[Anastantin]

Very good!!!

I was very suspicius about the prophecy. I think that there is definitely something more in it.
The tricky part of the prophecy is this about the killing. And Snape fits like the "other".
But there are some problems....
I think that Snape really works for himself. But I don't think he will be the next Dark Lord.
He loved Lily and that's the reason he wants LV dead.Also about DD I think there is something beneath the obvious.Maybe he killed DD on his commant maybe DD did not die dbut I don't think that Snape killed DD because he hated him or because LV ordered him.
Snape is indeed a powerfull wizard and I think that he will kill in the end LV and Harry.
So there is a 3rd person in the prophecy.....
Unless if the other is Nevill.....

I didn't read the Machiavelli theories (sorry rictasempra) but that's what I think...

[therearethree]

I'd like to submit an even scarier twist on this idea.

What if Snape won't become the next Dark Lord for the simple reason that he has no need to do this?

What if he's the original?

Furthermore, what if that character actually symbolizes something far more evil than what it may seem on the surface?

If true, all I can say is, thank goodness his former best friend is also still present to affect the course of history in the wizarding world. ( He has simply been far more subtle and patient about his moves in this grandest of chess matches, concealing his identity under the guise of what is too easily construed as weakness by many readers.)

[Louise]

Mmm....very interesting. One of the most original ideas I've come across lately. And it's testament to what a good idea I think it is that I ignored my own little unbreakable vow of never visiting the-site-that-shall-not-be-named again in order to read it

There are a lot of things to support this idea in addition to all the ones already mentioned - not the least of which is the importance of Occlumancy - Snape would certainly have to be good at it to hide his intentions from both his 'masters', and I've always thought that the prophecy is worded in such a way that a third person could very well be referred to, though I always used to think that the third person was Pettigrew, but anyway...

There are just a few things that I'd like to throw out there...

I don't think that JKR is half as complicated as many believe her to be. HBP proved that. But that doesn't mean that she wouldn't have drawn inspiration from Machiavelli's work. In which case, this certainly would be the biggest twist since Keyser Soze and would have me howling with satisfaction that the last...I don't know how many years I've spent obsessed with HP...weren't wasted on a kid's series I'd even forgive JKR for H/G, and that's saying something!!

Snape is certainly ambitious enough for something like this, but I'm not sure that, if he did do such a thing, that he would have done it to become the next Dark Lord. What would be the point? Why would he want to kill, to maim and to hurt people? Voldemort wanted to because he was a nutter from the time he was born, but Snape is intelligent, cunning and sharp...I don't know what advantages a person like him would see in such a thing...other than the satisfaction of having pulled it off, I suppose...like Keyser Soze.

And if this did happen, and Harry was faced with killing not just one Dark Lord, but two, aside from having a twist for a twist's sake, how would that drive the story? We all know that Harry hates them both and is probably going to end up killing one or both of them in the end, so what does it matter which one of them was *really* the Dark Lord all along? Voldemort is the one who is tied to Harry, not Snape. And I can't see JKR doing this because it will mean the possibility of a sequel, if Snape doesn't die, which will have everyone baying for her blood and it will be impossible for her to do anything else until she's written another one. I really can't see her doing that - she's going to tie everything off, she's going to have to. Which means, if this is the route she's going down, then one way or the other, Snape is going to have to die. Which brings me back to my first point - why does it matter? Aside from having a twist just for the sake of it.

There are some great ideas here though - namely wearethree's idea of something even more evil than just being a Voldemort, if you know what I mean...evil driven not by a madman, but by a sane, intelligent man...manipulative, practical and functional, something that can't be overcome by something as simple as love. Something that needs to be overcome by a force of mind and will - that would be far more interesting, to me anyway.
Anastantin had a good point about the possibilty of Snape loving Lily too, which adds another variable to the equation - if he does want to defeat Voldemort too, then it is for personal reasons and everything he has done has been for himself only, and he has never truly been on anyone's side.

This is a really interesting topic to ponder on and I sincerely hope that some of our seasoned debators here get involved, because there's the potential for some great discussions here

[corijp]

An interesting theory indeed. But I have to wonder...

In his youth, Snape was humiliated, hated, and tormented. That we know, and it stems from not only school, but from the home. He was mostly a loner and only consorted with a few from his own house. We also know that Snape is brilliant. I daresay he's probably one of the most clever wizards in his day. He is cunning, and we know he's able to charm those he needs to, remember, "I played my part well..." With this, I do think it could be possible that Snape could be manipulating the pieces to best suit himself and his own rise to power. I think it possible that it could be viewed as a form of revenge of sorts.

However, we do know from JKR that Snape has experienced love; he knows what it feels like to have someone care for you. Whether it was just the love from his mother, or another, we don't have details, just theories. But I will add that once experiencing such emotions, I find it difficult to believe that he's, infact, powerhungry (for lack of better terms). What would there be to gain when the world fears and hates you? After all, Dumbledore tells us over and over again that love is the most powerful magic there is.

And there's of course, the Prophecy. Could it be mere coincidence that it was Snape that overheard Trelawny? Or could it have been fate? Could he have played to Dumbledore's weakness in order for him to know the truth of what was said that night? Could that have been the birth of this ultimate plan? We know prophecies don't have to be fulfilled, and can obviously be interpretted in various ways... I wonder...

It's a facinating theory at the least and I'm afraid I'm now left with even more questions than before...

[Anastantin]

I am very sure that the Dark Lord is LV and only LV......

The only mystery in the prophecy is the part about the killing....

And JKR is really mysterius about this......

I think, like Rictasempra said, that the "other" is indeed Severus Snape...

But I think definitely that Snape will not be a Dark Lord.....

Afterall if you read my post about the magicall connection between LV, HP and DD you will see that Snape has not this connection with them...

[vortext]

*Snape Snape Snape it’s always with the Snape. Give it up for the ‘gift of character’! woo!*

As you said Rictasempra First, lets start with the Prophecy:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

In OotP we are told none but whom the prophecy concerns can hold it. Harry held it then tossed it Neville. Neville briefly held it before dropping the orb. You just know how JKR loves her interruptions to indicate something crucial – so look! ~ that prophecy REPEATS itself before being interrupted. Either Harry or Neville will become the Dark Lord after defeating LV’s Bone & Blood form. Then either Harry or Neville will have to defeat the Dark Lord AGAIN. *oh snape! I never saw that one coming!*

In HP6, before Narcissa and Bellatrix enter Snape's house on Spinner's end, a fox passes them, and one of them says, "it was just a fox". Now, why would JK just put a random fox there- it could have been anything. It may have been a coincidence, but honestly, I would never think of writing in a fox just for the sake of it- it has to have some kind of meaning.

Yes there’s a point to it. I think it has to do more with Binky. Remember Binky? That’s Lavender Brown’s pet bunny that was killed by a fox. The Snape house is probably near where Ron’s girlfriend lives. Which will be important later to…*sigh, why continue? zzz*

I don't think that JKR is half as complicated as many believe her to be. HBP proved that.

Well Michelle_D. she was all awash in pregnancy hormones. Health safety message -Editors should not let pregnant writers write pregnant. I had to listen to my mate shrill about the ‘obligatory sex scene’ of HBP and holler ‘why’d anyone write a thing like that?’ for a week. He refused to read past Chapter Phlegm until I filled him in on details on what Hermione’s and Ginny’s underwear looked like. He still has no idea of the ending. Mr. Monk is going to be so mad at me when he finishes that book. He's already mad that he knows that I know too much that he doesn't know.

EDIT DISCLAIMER
This post includes certain forward-looking statements about the expectations of HP and its characters and plot. Although vortext believes these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may vary materially from stated expectations. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "may," "planned," "potential," "should," "will," "would," "think," "estimate," "best guess", or similar phrases. Actual Novel #7 may differ materially from those indicated in my forward-looking statements due to the direct or indirect effects of what I may have eaten for lunch in the resolution of this post’s creative request.
Other factors that could cause materially different results include, but are not limited to, author’s fancy; natural disasters; creative tendencies and other creative urges; interview adjustments; movie scene input; examination of source material; bizarre fanfics; editing conditions; web conditions; changes of mind, interpretations, methods, judgments or predictions; performance of book as pleasant headrest; earlier posts; later posts and acts of pure whimsy.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this posting. vortext undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this posting.

[roonil_wazlib]

I love the idea of Snape being a mastermind. Personally, I always thought that Voldemort never had the mental capacity to create plans and such (no offense to Voly Lovers). He seemed to intent on killing Harry and conquering the wizarding world. And I once heard that, "The more you want something, the more unattainable it becomes."

I think that Snape would be the perfect villan. He just seems so... good at being evil. I mean, when you look at Voldermort, he's just so... proud. I mean, if you look at CoS, when he was explaining everything to Harry, he was taking credit for everything. He would never be able to restrain himself of his pride and ego.

But Snape. Good ol' Snape. He knew that Harry had the Advanced Potion Making book in HBP, but he didn't say anything. Some people have said it was because he didn't want to get himself into trouble, but what's the worst that could happen? He was a teenager and he made up some bad spells. Whoop-de-do. I think it was because he was able to restrain himself from confessing everything.

Of course, he eventually did at the last moment right before he fled. But, oh well. HEY!! Here's an idea:

More on the whole Snape/Voldy similarities, notice how proud they both are? (this is so going to contradict everything I just said, but shh!!) Voldy knew that he could never take credit for being Slytherin's heir as Tom Riddle, so he did it as Voldemort, after he had been charged with murder and whatnot. And Snape, he didn't say anything about being the HBP for who knows what reason, so he spilled the beans at the very end, right before he was fled, after murdering DD.

*wiggles eyebrows suggestively* I don't know where I'm going with this anymore. I think the only thing that was on topic was, "I love the idea of Snape being a mastermind." So for rambling on with stupid things, I apologize.

*scurries off*

[Pyro]

I bet snape is not working for himself just hoping that harry will kill voldy, once he dose that harry will be weakend from the fight and thats where snape comes in to kill harry(thinking that if he dose then he will become the new dark lord) but, i think that harry will use the last bit of fight in him to kill snape!

[talli_tastik]

im not realy sure bout snape like its wierd is he good or evil he didnt have to kill dumbldore he didnt no wat malfoy was up to but then he made that vow to malfoys mother to protect him so sominks garn on there i curious with snape like i think he did have a crush on lilly wen harry was in snapes pensieve and seen harrys father hang snape up on the tree or somit lilly sed let him down so maybe he was grateful nd stuff i dint nar realy

[mayfair]

Exciting as they mey seem, the theories about Snape being the mastermind are too far fetched. The series is about two characters, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, the rest are all support staff and Snape is just one of them. He's has no more role to play than Ron or Hermione. But I agree that he's most likely playing both sides to see which one comes out on top and then align himself there. He's a survivor plain and simple and definitely not a mastermind of the caliber of Tom or Dumbledore. Dumbledore made a mistake in trusting him and paid with his life. Tom doesn't trust anybody and when he has no use for Snape anymore, he'll get rid of him just like that. Snape is just a support cast and that's it.

[jsousa69]

I´m sorry, but the prophececy say's "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.." Will be born...Well, if Snape was listening that prophecy behind the door, I think that he had already born right? I think it isn't Snap only because of this reason..

[potter's_gurl]

i believe he snape will remain faithful to the dark lord and never gop back but hey thats me im not JKR but i dont think she will make him go back to the good side and if he dose he won't be welcomed with open arms eh?

[-ginny-da-cat-]

woah, i read another thread on snape been part of the phropecy but i totally disagrred but after reading this it makes me think, that could be what jk is doing.

i mean it is possible as snape is cunning and that and it would explain several things tah tare going to happen in book 7,

i realy don't want this to happen - i want ahrry to be the hero but i wouldn't be susprised if jk did this, i like to write nd thats the ype of thing i would do , major major major twist.

[samsmom]

VERY interesting topic, Rictasempra. Welcome to VTM!

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand ofthe other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." (underlined and bolded by me)

Excellent point that I had not considered in the wording of the prophecy, however, "the other" is not Snape... it is Neville! The prophecy speaks of attributes that fit both Harry and Neville until LV marks Harry as his equal, and then Neville becomes "the other." Interesting point for it's own topic...

I don't think that JKR is half as complicated as many believe her to be. HBP proved that. But that doesn't mean that she wouldn't have drawn inspiration from Machiavelli's work.

I completely agree with Louise here. While JKR is an amazing writer, we spend all of the time that she is writing the next book, analyzing the previous ones. We come up with ideas that JKR herself has said she wishes that she thought of. It would be like her to build off of "The Prince", but equally her style to put her own twist on it so that we could not predict the end of book 7 by knowing the end of "The Prince."

I see Snape acting on his own best interests, but that doesn't mean that he can't ultimately be on the side of the Order. Note that I don't say that he's good, because he's not. He is smart enough and felt love enough to keep him from wanting to be an Evil Lord. LV is the Dark Lord because he does not know love. Snape does. I see what the theory speaks of about the conflict between Snape and Harry, but I think that will resolve when Harry finds out that Snape loved Lily and tried to save her. They will never be friends, but I don't see them as mortal enemies (one having to kill the other), either.