Snape in SILK GOWNS

[Peggy]

No: HPFGUIDX 79240

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "laylalast" <liliana at w...> 
wrote:

Big Snip

DD will stick with Snape. Leading to, at the end, a scene at DD's 
office, explaining Snape's real situation to Harry.
> 
More snipping


now me:

I'm starting to get paranoid about being paranoid about Snape.  He's 
an easy scapegoat for everything that goes wrong.  Yes, he appears to 
have made Harry more vulnerable to LV through the Occlumency lessons, 
but there's no information to indicate that things would have been 
different if DD had been the one to give the lessons.  It's possible 
that Snape's attempts to break into Harry's mind simply had the 
unfortunate side effect of making him more open to LV, and that Snape 
had no idea that he was doing so.  I expect that are certainly better 
ways to teach Occlumency, but Snape just chose the way that would 
beat Harry up the most.

And I think we now know why DD is inclined to trust Snape:  DD says 
that he is a Legilimens (OOP, p. 832, American edition).  And DD is a 
truly powerful wizard.  Even if Snape could block him using 
Occlumens, DD would surely know that he was *being* blocked.  Snape 
had to open up completely to DD, otherwise any reservations on his 
part would have been sensed by DD and Snape would have been packed 
off to Azkaban with the rest of the DEs.

The whole point here is that I agree with Liliana--we are headed for 
a great big showdown between Snape, DD, and Harry.  It may not be in 
Book 6, but Harry will learn why DD trusts Snape.  And I think the 
trust (like him or not) is probably warranted.  If he isn't 
trustworthy, I was involved in an exchange a few weeks ago that 
involved LV cutting Snape's heart out with a melon baller, and I'd 
buy tickets for that if Snape's a traitor.

Peg