Hamlet¡¦s ¡§to be or not to be¡¨ may have been discussed for years, but right now the question is ¡§is- he or isn't he.¡¨ HP's most ambiguous character, I think, and his biggest ambiguity is which side his loyalties actually lie on. Yes, I'm referring to the Potions Master, the dreaded darkness of the dungeons, Severus Snape. Probably the most mysterious of the main characters, Snape has been the subject of heated debate ever since DD told Harry in PS/SS that Snape wanted to save Harry so he could start hating James again...memory. Intrigued? You bet we were. Every time we think we're beginning to understand it, we learn something that throws it in our face. Each answer we get about it raises twenty new questions. And there is, of course, the million-dollar question ¡V ¡§Which side is he really on? ¡¨After HBP, some fans could barely control their fury, hatred and disgust towards him. Others think he really had no choice, that he did what he had to do or that he did it on DD's orders. There is of course also the group of undecided people, but since they do not tip the scales one way or the other, I ignore them. The majority, however, is decided. For the most part, Rogue's murder of DD has him locked in as a villain, and there are whispers of "I could have told you that" from everywhere. Many have switched sides, going from the I don't think Snape is evil camp to Snape is a slimeball, b*****d, #@&*!$. Let's take a look at what exactly Snape is doing that night¡KOur first look at Snape that night takes place in the Astronomy Tower, with a weakened DD, an invisible immobilized Harry, Draco and 4 DE. Just before Snape killed DD, when DD begged him (for life or death?), Snape looked at Dumbledore for a moment, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the hard lines of his face. This revulsion and hatred has caused a lot of confusion among fans. The Snape-is-evil group takes it literally, that Snape is revolted and hates the sight of DD, and is finally able to show it. The counterargument is that Snape was revolted, not by DD, but by what he had to do. Snape, at first glance, can make out the following:-" "DD doesn't have his wand" "Draco has lost his temper