OoP: What Snape is really doing out there...

[Sara_ELL]

No: HPFGUIDX 65258

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "knvna" <knvna at a...> wrote:
 
K wrote:

*********************************************************************
Why then would Snape agree to teach Harry Occlumency? Part of the 
reason Harry is expected to learn Occlumency, I thought, was to keep 
The Dark Lord from spying in turn on Dumbledore and the Order 
through Harry, just as Harry has been able to do somewhat to 
Voldemort. Isn`t it possible that V would/could possibly receive 
images on his end from Harry`s mind -of Snape`s teachings?  Wouldn`t 
the fact alone that Snape is teaching Harry to close his mind to 
Voldemort put Snape in a compromising position?
Not to mention that Harry was able to break into Snapes mind as only 
a beginner. Voldemort, imo would probably see right through him.
*********************************************************************

Me:

Harry is no ordinary beginner - he's one of the most gifted and 
powerful wizards in existance. I take it as a mark of Snape's esteem 
for Harry's potential that he uses the pensieve at all. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures - Dumbledore does not 
seem to have anticipated the possibility that Harry's connection 
with Volemort was a two-way communication pathway until after Harry 
sees Arthur Weasley's attack (he admits this in his last chat to 
Harry). We are not told how many people are able to perform 
Occlumency but the impression I get is that there are only two 
master Occlumencers at Hogwarts - Snape (whose abilities are good 
enough for him to receive unqualified support from none other than 
Sirius, himself) and Dumbledore. It's obviously too dangerous for 
Dumbledore to pick up the lessons leaving Snape as the only 
alternative, irrespective of the risk to Snape himself. Besides 
which, Voldemort's ability to see through Harry's eyes are only 
fleeting in the book and do not seem to be appreciated fully until 
the final confrontation/posession. Finally, Harry is aware of each 
instance that Voldemort hooks up to the connection (with the 
unfortunate exception of the MoM dreams) - as the story is told from 
Harry's perspective, I find it unlikely that Harry would be unaware 
of Voldemort's presence during the Occlumency lessons. 


Sara 
(sitting on a haystack with a glass of pumpkin-juice, on the the Spy!
Snape bandwagon)