Someone here on LJ has said that one must be fully behind someone to stab them in the back.
The Dumbledore portrait idea is a good one, assuming he wakes up in time; however, I am more inclined to think that Dumbledore and Snape KNEW he could never contact the members of the Order and that Snape's role is now that of Voldemort's betrayer; the one who weakens/distracts Voldemort enough that Harry can go in for the kill.
I think this because, regardless of how powerful a wizard he is, Harry is: 1) Largely untrained; 2) Surrounded now by people who want to protect him rather than push him into danger (which won't do anything but drag it out); 3) Harry's a teenager, and no offense to teenagers out there, the majority can't rationally think their way out of a paper bag. Witness all of Harry's misconceptions as he relies on his emotional perceptions rather than paying attention to the 'cold' details.
I think they (Snape and Dumbledore) started out years ago with the assumption that Dumbledore would be there to help guide Harry (since Harry *loves* Snape so much--and I think the animosity was carefully and coldly nurtured in case Harry was ever caught) and when that was no longer possible (i.e. Dumbledore was dying from the first curse), Albus and Snape cooked up a plan that would at least give the boy a chance to succeed, but ONLY if Snape could get himself into a SOLID position of trust fully *behind* Voldemort and either (as I repeat from before) redirect the Dark Lord's attention (Look, Mouldie, it's a plane--stab), or weaken him (OH, are we feeling a little under the weather?--stab). I think Snape killing Albus made that goal more achievable.
Anyway, just my take on it. Feel free to disagree.
Maybe....
The Dumbledore portrait idea is a good one, assuming he wakes up in time; however, I am more inclined to think that Dumbledore and Snape KNEW he could never contact the members of the Order and that Snape's role is now that of Voldemort's betrayer; the one who weakens/distracts Voldemort enough that Harry can go in for the kill.
I think this because, regardless of how powerful a wizard he is, Harry is:
1) Largely untrained;
2) Surrounded now by people who want to protect him rather than push him into danger (which won't do anything but drag it out);
3) Harry's a teenager, and no offense to teenagers out there, the majority can't rationally think their way out of a paper bag. Witness all of Harry's misconceptions as he relies on his emotional perceptions rather than paying attention to the 'cold' details.
I think they (Snape and Dumbledore) started out years ago with the assumption that Dumbledore would be there to help guide Harry (since Harry *loves* Snape so much--and I think the animosity was carefully and coldly nurtured in case Harry was ever caught) and when that was no longer possible (i.e. Dumbledore was dying from the first curse), Albus and Snape cooked up a plan that would at least give the boy a chance to succeed, but ONLY if Snape could get himself into a SOLID position of trust fully *behind* Voldemort and either (as I repeat from before) redirect the Dark Lord's attention (Look, Mouldie, it's a plane--stab), or weaken him (OH, are we feeling a little under the weather?--stab). I think Snape killing Albus made that goal more achievable.
Anyway, just my take on it. Feel free to disagree.