Dumbledore and Trust

[meltowne]

No: HPFGUIDX 73146

We all wonder a bit about Dumbledore's ability to judge people, and 
whether he should trust people as much as he does - or even why he 
trusts someone like Snape.

I think part of it lies in Occulomency - this has been hinted at 
since the first book, where Harry makes a comment that he thinks 
Dumbledore knows everything that goes on at Hogwarts (and he probably 
does).  Dumbledore gives the impression at the end of SS/PS that he 
had planned all along for Harry to rescue to stone - he congratulated 
him on figuring out who Nicolas Flamel was.

He trusts Hagrid "with his life" yet clearly doesn't let him in on 
everything.  He knows that Hagrid is loose lipped, and counts on 
that - he knew Hagrid would end up letting both Quirrel and Harry 
know how to get past Fluffy.  Upon rereading SS/PS, I noted that 
Hagrid tells Harry nobody knows why LV tried to Kill Harry - he 
obviously assumes James and Lily were the targets of the attack.  
Anyone familiar with the prophesy would know otherwise, but if Hagrid 
was told, he would have let it slip.

He made it clear to Harry that he knows how to be invisible without a 
cloak - and in several instances, he seems to know of Harry's 
presence in the room when using the cloak.  Maybe he knew about 
Quirrel all along, but also, due to the prophesy, know that any fight 
with LV must be Harry's battle.

I think with many of the characters it's not so much that Dumbledore 
trusts them, but that he knows just how far to trust them.

Why does he trust Snape?  My theory is that Snape loved Lily, and 
that was part of his hatred toward James - the memory in the Penseive 
reminded him how badly he treated her at Hogwarts.  Perhaps the 
reason Snape was able to break free of LV is the very same reason 
Harry survived - love.  LV did the unthinkable and killed Lily.  
While Harry reminds him a great deal of James, he is still the only 
child of the woman he loved; the only thing left of her.  Perhaps his 
treatment of Harry is also because he truly expects more from him.  A 
good teacher pushes the best students harder, to help them rise to 
their potential.  Perhaps Snape is using a bit of reverse 
psychology.  He knows everyon must think he hates Harry, so why not 
use that to his advantage - get Harry to work hard to prove him wrong.