Metathinking and Why Snape may know what he knows WAS Re: The Gleam Revisited

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 45147

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at e...> 
wrote:

> 
>>> But I don't think it's an interpretation that the text actually 
> doesn't support - for example, if you can manage to explain 
why  kindly old Dumbledore is practically *laughing* at one of his 
senior  teachers having a near nervous breakdown in Chapter 
22 of PoA,  *without* recourse to 'Dumbledore is secretly an evil 
sadist', then  you can argue that I'm twisting the text and 
everything is exactly  as it seems. <<

First off, let's not conflate "losing his temper and shouting wild 
accusations" with "having a near nervous breakdown." It's true 
that Fudge wonders if Snape is unbalanced, but then he 
wonders that  about Harry and Hermione, too. It's Fudge's  
standard explanation for  people not behaving the way he 
expects them to. He even applies it to Dumbledore in GoF. 
"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad..." (GoF 36)

But as for the scene in PoA :

"Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore came striding into the ward 
together. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as 
if he were quite enjoying himself."

If all three of them were facing Harry, then  only Harry  and 
Hermione could see the look  on Dumbledore's face. The look is 
a message of reassurance for them, "Don't be afraid, you're not 
going to get in trouble. "

I can see Hermione especially needing that reassurance. She 
has, after all, just broken a whole raft of wizarding laws and now 
she's confronted with the Minister of Magic himself and a 
very angry Snape. Who knows what she might have blurted out? 
It wouldn't be the first time she took the blame on herself to 
spare Harry.  

By the time Snape looks at Dumbledore, there's only a twinkle in 
Dumbledore's eyes. The message is: "Trust me, I know what I'm 
doing." Nothing evil or sadistic in that as far as I can see.

Pippin