Where do Snape's loyalties lie?

I keep going back and forth while I weigh all the evidence. In the end, it comes down to the message Rowling chooses to get across to her readers. Peter and I discussed this at length, and in many ways I agree with his assessment. One, the interview with Rowling could be seen both directions. Second, if Snape remains a Death Eater than we have no character left that has made a dramatic change against who they were. I know many of you will disagree on this point, and I do in some ways myself, but in many ways it is true. I'll write an article on that sometime this week.

I believe this book is about the choices we come to make, not the choices we are destined to make. Therefore, some character has to make a dramatic switch from the choices they originally made. I find Snape's redemption to be a far more powerful story than Snape's deception. Maybe Rowling doesn't see it this way, but I do believe authors pass on messages without meaning to. If Snape is a Death Eater, her message seems to be that people are destined to make certain choices and there really are no dividing lines. In short, Dumbledore is wrong to believe that people can change. Maybe this will differ with other events in Book Seven, but so far this is the message I will recieve by Snape's betrayal.

Maybe she is giving us a lesson in politics only to deny the greater story of redemption.

Dumbledore trusts Severus Snape, and for the sake of humanity I too trust Severus Snape. If I am wrong, perhaps I am wrong about the power of the Harry Potter story in and of itself. For now, I will choose hope. Even if it is against the odds.