WINDOW SILLS

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 80889

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...> 
wrote:
> He wanted to catch Sirius, and the thought that he would be proved 
right
> about Lupin, too, was just too alluring.
> 
> That said: I fully believe that he had every intention of saving the
> children.

I think Snape has been keeping track of Harry and just like Lupin 
suspected that the kids would go to Hagrid on Execution Day so he may 
have suspected that the kids were there. He certainly did not act 
surprised at their presence. But that is just a guess, I have no 
evidence to support it.

> > Maybe that was why JKR had Lupin attend the post-pensieve
> > conversation - to tip the scales in Snape's mind, by giving him
> > evidence of Harry's real feelings on the subject?
> 
> But we don't know if that conversation ever happened. I am inclined 
to
> believe it didn't; given Dumbledore's summation to Harry of the 
reason Snape
> discontinued the lessons.

When I referred to the "post-pensieve conversation" I meant the one 
Harry had with Sirius and Lupin while the twins were staging their 
farewell stint. What I meant was that by having Lupin in on the 
conversation then, he could in a future book help resolve the 
atmosphere between Harry and Snape, as his relationship with Snape 
seems the least contentious of the four. Hopefully that will happen 
before he too dies (I expect all four MWPP to eventually die over the 
course of the series, and probably Snape as well for good measure...).

> That said: I think you're right. Like Lupin, I think that to Snape,
> Dumbledore's trust has meant everything. The memory of it may be 
strong
> enough to hold him to his course, should anything happen to 
Dumbledore;

I am not so sure. He was a DE. I am guessing that that implies much 
more than just an ugly mark on the arm. If Dumbledore is gone it will 
be a lot harder for him to keep faith with the good side for the sake 
of Harry whom he hates so much, when at the same time he has both the 
threat and the binding implied by the DE mark.

> I think that streak of honor is key: if he is indeed the "one who 
has left
> me forever," then I believe Voldemort knows that Snape left because 
he,
> Voldemort, stepped over some line in Snape's code and Snape is 
inflexible.

I don't believe that Snape was one of the ones referred to by 
Voldemort. If Voldemort thought that he "left him forever" how could 
he have acted as a spy?

> If Dumbledore trusts him, I believe it is because he, Dumbledore, 
knows that
> Snape will hold to that honor and his word, because he is proud, 
stubborn,
> and inflexible.

But Dumbledore has made mistakes in the past. However, I don't think 
we'll know if he has done so with Snape until the end of the series.
We still have a few more years to debate the issue... :-)

Salit
(who would love to read books 6 and 7 but will miss the speculations)