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What does everyone think of Snape, friend or foe?
I say he is most likey friend since the way it looks Dumbledore wanted Snape to do it to save Malfoy's life.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK SIX IGNORE THIS POST GAAAAA SPOILER SPOILER

I've said it before, and I'll said it again: I really doubt Snape acted as he would have when he killed Dumbledore. While I don't think he's a "friend," per say, he was pretty much forced to do the Unbreakable Vow--if he hadn't, then his spying would have proven useless. NOBODY can break that. And considering Snape tried to save Harry's life in Book 1 in order to "pay off the debt to the father," so to speak, we know that he has SOME sense of honor--even if he's otherwise really mean and sometimes unjust to his students. Plus, it would just be redundant to set Snape up as a villain in Book 1, only to say, "Nope, he's not one," and then turn around and have him turn out to be totally evil in book 7. I don't think JKR's that sloppy a storyteller.

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What if Snape was under the curse (I forget the name dang it!) that let someone else control someone else's actions (maybe it's called the Cruciatis curse or something like that). I've been wondering that for some time now, if Snape is a good or bad character, or still a good guy eventhough he killed Dumbledor. Or maybe someone took a Polyjuice potion to look like Snape.

You're thinking of the Imperious Curse. The Cruciatus is pure pain. They're both Unforgivable Curses though.

I think it was Snape acting as he would, and had to. Why else would JKR write the chapter with the Unbreakable Vow?

Is it me, but has Harry Potter degenerated into a game where we bet on who dies next?

I think Snape is serving his own interests. He's not on anyone's side at all, and that's why Dumbledore can be so sure that he's not on Voldemort's side. His judgement is further clouded because Snape is so good at Occlumency. I think Snape might even end up trying to kill Voldemort so he can take over.

That sounds like a good guess.

Why did Snape want to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class though? I wonder if he wanted to teach others to defend themselves since he knew so much about the dark arts. It also seems as if Snape is battling between good and evil as well, since sometimes he does good deeds, but then he moves back to doing evil. I really don't know. I'll probably just keep making guesses, but then it will get really exciting when the next book comes out. Maybe I could just read all the Harry Potter books again this summer for fun. It's pretty fun making guesses though, and then seeing if you're right or at least party right about it.

I'm not sure if he's a villain or good guy but I think Wormtail is a good guy.

I think he wanted to teach them so that he could sabotage them. Make the class so difficult and unpleasent that no-one really learns anything, that way, when Voldemort tries to gain power, which he inevitably will, the younger generations will be less able to protect themselves or defeat him.

Snapes evil, thats that.

The question of Snape's loyalty is the most hotly debated topic in the Harry Potter fandom. On the board that I frequent you can't even count the posts on the subject because they are on their thirty forth thread discussing it.

I don't think that Snape had anything to lose by making the Unbreakable Vow with Cissy because I think he was telling her the truth when he told her that he thought Voldemort expected him to do it in the end; Draco was just a diversion and a punishment for his father's screw up. Even so, the arguement Hagrid partly overheard, between him and Dumbledore, suggests the possibility that Snape would rather die than actually go through with it.

But he didn't die and he did go through with it. I think that Snape is atoning for his sins and the debt he owes to James Potter is now payable to Harry. In the end he will save Harry's life (perhaps with Pettigrew's help); but that's just my opinion. In two months we will know.

More spoilers ahead if you haven't read past the 4th book....

How much atoning does he have to do? Snape's already saved Harry's life at least once, certainly (when he was crossjinxingQuirrel's jinx at the Quidditch match). Plus later it's revealed that James was pretty damn nasty to Snape in a way that made Harry feel deeply ashamed about his own father. So it's not as simple as Snape just being a jerk - he has a complicated history that connects him to Harry through James. His loathing of Harry I think is quite genuine, and not just because he "owes" James - but simply because Harry IS very much like his father in Snape's eyes. And as someone who's been bullied myself I can totally relate to how it most feel to NOT be able to get away from those memories and why he'd feel the need to be defensive around Harry.

Snape's an utterly brilliant literary character. He works both as a literary character within the larger story, AND he's a revealing figure about certain nuances of human social life we too often gloss over or paint in black and white (like, "he's just a jerk," or "he's just evil"). He has substance in that he's a very grey character who's thickly in the middle of everything - he's obliged to the protagonist, Harry, and to Harry's protector, Dumbledore, while simultaneously being obliged to the villian, Voldemort, and Voldemort's "appentrice," Draco. JKR has done a fabulous job with his character arc, in making this very complex character work. He'll remain ambiguous until the end...who knows, maybe JKR will deal us a nasty blow and leave him ambiguous.

I personally am rooting for Snape to be "good" at the end. I know it's so maudlin to hope for Snape's "redemption," and JKR has been anything but maudlin with Snape up to this point. But who knows - she's been so sharp and creative so far, she may have a few surprised left for the Snape story.