The Dueling Club - an interpretaion

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 57817

Stretching her arms back behind her back and breathing in deeply again...

-----

Darrin broke down four views of the duel, but unfortunately, I
disagree with all of them and saw the events a different way with
different reads of Snape and Dumbledore.  Yes, it is similar to MD,
but not exclusive.  Let me explain.


> * All-Knowing Snape, Omniscient Dumbledore:
>
> Snape knew exactly what he was doing, Dumbledore knew exactly how he
> was going to do it...
>
> Darrin's view: NO! I really hate All-Knowing Snape and Omniscient
> Dumbledore.


I think you hate this so much because it means that every step Snape
and Dumbledore make are so ingenious and so lucky it is beyond belief
even for fiction.  I think many confuse MD!Dumbledore and MD!Snape
with this view.  Really, the way JKR has written her books so far, she
did not write a situation or a character this perfect, and if it turns
out that Snape and Dumbledore are, then the human feel of the books
will be lost and true fairytale fantasy will take over.  I think we
all would be a bit disappointed then, but I am rambling a bit
here...like normal.

I do not like this viewpoint because an all-knowing Snape and
Dumbledore is just that.  All knowing.  So why do it?  What is to gain
by showing the school Harry is a parseltongue?  Seems a breech in
security really.  An all-knowing Snape and Dumbledore have no reason
to call the club or even be there.  They already know.



> * Mean and Knowledgable Snape, Mostly Omniscient Dumbledore:
>
> Snape was ordered to make Harry reveal his Parselmouth, but
> Dumbledore is torked that Snape made Harry a pariah in the process.
> The shrewd and calculating look is because Snape makes Harry look
> like an evil git.
>
> Darrin's view: Not as bad, but hopefully Snape got his knuckles
> rapped for this one.

Eh.  The ordered part rather bothers me.  I think it is that word.  I
do not see Dumbledore as per say ordering Snape around but rather
discussing things with him, talking the options, then deciding what to
do.  But then again, if Snape did not want to do something (And really
in this situation would Snape *not* want to do this to Harry?),
Dumbledore would have to command him, but as I said in the
parenthesis, I doubt Snape was not game for playing with Lockhart and
having the chance to be a dueling stud.


I see this viewpoint as the closest to mine, which I will explain later.



> * Mean and Clueless Snape, Smart, But Not THAT Smart Dumbledore:
>
> Snape was just having a bit of fun with Potter, and was as shocked
> as anyone else when Harry was a Parselmouth. The shrewd look is
> because he realized that what Potter would be going through now was
> 100 times worse than getting a minor fright from a snake.
> Dumbledore, though suspecting Harry might be a Parselmouth, wasn't
> sure until this moment. Didn't order anything.
>
> Darrin's view: The one I like the best. I like my Snape on a
> need-to-know basis, not as ultra spymaster. I also like my Snape
> hateful in a lot of ways, not some benevolent bat flapping around
> with 18 motives for every action.

Hm.  That explained you loyalties to me quite well.  I can't persuade
you to come over the Safe House for a visit, can I?

I guess, I do not like this viewpoint because I have problems seeing a
Snape that protects Harry from falling off his broom, from being
wrongly accused earlier by Filch, and who is worried sick that Harry
was late for the train back to school to begin with, now has a
calculated, sinister, and a bit of a sick lust for Harry to have as
much fear and isolation as possible for a twelve year old.

I just do not buy that Snape "I hate you because of your father" crap.
 I am sorry.  There is more going on there than just I hated your
father.  He was good at Quidditch.  He got all the girls.  I could
never wash my hair.  I hate him.  So, I hate you.  Please.  Snape is
not that one dimensional, and really to date, we do not have a good
motive for him to have that much hatred for Harry that he would find
such twist glee in Harry's now extended fear beyond a silly snake.

And clueless?  Snape?  Clueless?  Come on Darrin.  Snape and
Dumbledore obviously talk....well Dumbledore and Hagrid obviously talk
too, but I mean, Snape and Dumbledore can look at each other at the
end of GoF, and with no words, they move "a plan" into action.  They
talk and talk often.  They know calculated moves.  The question here
is whether this was one of them.  But, I think we can rule out a
clueless Snape.  If anything, Dumbledore was not at the dueling club,
so he had to hear about the events from someone dependable.  Key word:
dependable.  Hm...Lockhart?  No.  Percy?  Naw.  Crabbe or Goyle?  Ha!
 Only person that knew fully all that would probably be going on, of
any importance, in that room would be Snape.


> * Mean and Clueless Snape, Clueless Dumbledore:
>
> See above Snape, but add a Dumbledore just as surprised as anyone.
>
> Darrin's view: Probably not, but oh well.


Ok.  Clueless Dumbledore?  *With* a clueless Snape?  Oh how sad would
*that* be?  Seems good then that Dumbledore clued in enough to realize
how Harry got that gift whether than do a Fudge and assume the worse.
 Seems glad that Snape did too.  For after all, Snape never harasses
Harry about his gift.  How he shares this precious gift with Snape's
old boss the Dark Lord.  Yep, all he ever harasses Harry about is
stupid and superficial.  Or he eggs him on to loose his temper in the
Shrieking Shack.  :D


Soooooo....my view of this scene?

I see:
A informed Snape there to protect Harry and watch the events *if*
something happens.  And *if* he has the opportunity to "help" an event
to happen, then bully for their side.  I mean: *Lockhart* is in charge
of the whole silly event.  Dumbledore is not that stupid.  Moreover,
it seems Snape is more than able to protect Harry and the school if
need be.  If anything, he could curse Lockhart or do that cool ropes
from his hands he did in Shrieking Shack.  The school body would like
it, but that might be a deterrent, since Snape likes everyone not
liking him.

Now, Snape and Dumbledore do talk, so they might of discussed if Harry
had that gift, since they also knew that Harry was no telling the
truth as to why he was in the corridor Halloween night.  But I also
believe they knew it was a Basilisk but did not know how it was moving
around.  Which brings me to my view of Dumbledore here...

-and-

A Dumbledore with a hunch but is not sure.  *If* Snape gets a chance,
it would be nice to see what Harry would do, but Snape would have
control of the situation at all time, so there is no real danger.
They could test it, but it was not a necessity.

After all, they could of conjure a snake any old time to see if Harry
is a parseltongue.  Walking down the hall, oh look a snake.  Why
Harry?  Why are you doing that raspy sound with your throat?  They did
not need that public forum...or did they?


Ok, I will stop.  I just hated that you isolated the possibility that
Snape has actually good intentions towards Harry to the first one.
But then again, you like a mean, heartless Snape.

See: I like a mean but acting Snape.  You get the best of both worlds.


Melody