Snapedom

Why is it an important plot point for you, can I ask? I simply don't see why it's important for the *plot* to know what Severus might or might not have planned on doing in circumstances that did not arise. It's important perhaps for characterizing Snape, nothing more. Snape and JKR gave Harry and us what was important for understanding/reacting appropriately to the plot events that did play out, and the logic of the situation in the Shack makes it understandable to me that Snape gave only this highly selective information.

I also seem to have not been clear enough, sorry: the 'something more definite' that I'm curious about is not about what JKR might envision, it's about what specifically *you* envision that Snape *could have* actually done in his planning when you talk about what seems to you to be his actual failure to plan. Because I don't see that he could have done much under the circumstances, and I am curious how you think he could have done more - what actions exactly he could have supposedly taken or planned to take, given the way so many things were outside his control. If one is going to accuse him of failing to take an action, one must have some idea of a possible action he could have taken or planned to take, yes? This is where I wonder what you personally would have liked to see him do, beyond the indefinite idea of 'make plans.'

Where I'm coming from, to be clear: thinking about *theoretical* possibilities for Snape to plan anything, I think he had very limited options because most key things (including timing) were beyond his control. Finding Potter the moment he discovered Nagini's protection, showing him the Patronus, and explaining or using a Pensieve to convince Potter of his true role was about all he could expect to be able to do.

But this is purely theoretical, since we are given *highly selected information* about the relevant time and his actions and plans then. Therefore I don't think one can make any sort of yes/no, verifiable statement about his failure or not-failure to plan; at most we can say that we don't know because we have no information. The cat is neither alive nor dead until the box is opened, and Severus neither planned nor did not plan until there is a statement or scene in canon establishing this. And we don't get one because it's not IMHO relevant to JKR's plot, just as what Snape did during the decade before Harry arrived at Hogwarts is not relevant and so is passed over. Everything we say regarding his plans or lack of plans and possibilities to plan is purely theoretical, purely supposition that is unverifiable one way or another.