Shack Flints, Snape's motivation

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 36809

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Kwhateverr2001 at c... wrote:

>    I hate to be argumentative in my first post, but I humbly
disagree.  No 
> way could Dumbledore persuade Snape of Black's innocence, especially
so soon 
> after the incident.  Snape was still burning from losing the "Order
of 
> Merlin" title which would cause him to be much less sympathetic to
all 
> concerned.  I think he only did the handshake brecause Dumbledore
asked him 
> to, and with all the events that had taken place, he probably would
have felt 
> very petty had he refused.  The handshake was not an admission on
Snape's 
> part of Black's innocence, but more of an agreement to disagree for
the time 
> being, since they had bigger fish to fry at that point in time. 
Also out of 
> respect for Harry, grudging thought it may be.

Nope, afraid I can't by that one.  At the time the handshake took
place, Voldemort has come back to power, the Minister of Magic has his
fingers stuck in his ears going "don't tell me about, I can't hear
you, la-la-la," and Dumbledore is preparing for war.  In that
situation, there's no way Snape would've agreed to work with Sirius if
he thought there was any chance in hell that Sirius was guilty. 
Dumbledore is including Sirius in his inner circle, trusting him with
names and plans and access to Harry and all sorts of other top-secret
stuff.  If Sirius is guilty, if he's really the traitorous,
mass-murdering, Voldemort-supporting scum that Snape used to think
him, then Dumbledore is making a huge and deadly mistake, a mistake
that could lose the war for the good guys before it has even properly
started.  Countless lives, including Snape's own, are depending on
Sirius being absolutely trustworthy. Under such circumstances you
don't just "agree to disagree."  

Now, there's certainly room for debate on exactly *when* Snape's
conversion took place.  But take place it must have, or else there
would've been no room for handshakes and talk of cooperation.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com