JKR didn't say "No: was re: Life-saving bonds

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 94845

Pippin previously:
> > Dumbledore himself says something deliberately 
ambiguous  in OOP: "Tonight was supposed to be the first 
meeting" -- where Fudge takes the meaning of "supposed" as 
"intended" but we  know that  Dumbledore really means the other 
sense:  "presumed to be true without conclusive evidence." 
> > 
> > This is a deliberate attempt to mislead. But Dumbledore 
doesn't appear to regard it as lying--more like he's giving Fudge 
a choice about how to interpret his words, and letting Fudge 
jump to conclusions.  
> 
> Naama:
> 
> I'm sorry, but in this case Dumbledore was flat out lying to 
Fudge.  He falsely confesses to initating DA.<

Nope.  He admits only  that he "organized this".  He carefully 
adds that he has not yet recruited anyone and no one has yet 
agreed to join him.  Harry's intention to form a Dark Arts defense 
group was reported to the Order by Mundungus, Dumbledore's 
agent. Sirius, Dumbledore's fellow conspirator, approved it. 
Dobby, Dumbledore's employee, just happened to show up with 
advice about a meeting place after Harry told Sirius he was 
hunting for one. I'd say Dumbledore did a whole lot of organizing. 
Do you really think they carried on once a week for six months, in 
a castle with suits of armor that watch what you're doing and a 
portrait that can turn itself invisible, without Dumbledore's tacit 
consent? They don't *all* have invisibility cloaks, you know.  Pull 
the other one! <g>

Naama:
> But I disagree with you precisely on whether her answer is 
cagey or  not. *I* don't think it's cagey at all, *because* (sorry
for repeating myself) "I don't think so" has such a clear meaning 
in common usage.  So, in my understanding, if it turns out that 
Snape is vampire, her  answer is a blatant con.<

That's where we disagree. An online chat with an author about a 
mystery work-in-progress isn't common usage. It's more like the 
testimony of  an expert witness with something to hide in a 
situation where she knows she can't be cross-examined. 

:::imagines putting JKR on the stand:::
Cross Examiner: You've stated that you don't think there are any 
links between Snape and vampires. Is that correct?
JKR: Yes.
CE: Could you put that more definitely?
JKR: I don't think so.
Cross Examiner: Ms. Rowling, did you not state  on April 13, 
2000 that you knew all about Severus Snape?
JKR-- Call me Jo, please
CE: Very well, Jo. Did you not state that you knew all about 
Severus Snape?
JKR -- Yes
CE: And yet you can't state positively whether or not he has links 
to vampires?
JKR--I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate 
me.

Pippin
apologizing to the real lawyers in the group

tiny link to JKR's comment about plot construction and tricking 
the reader
http://tinyurl.com/2sa7z

tiny link to the April 13, 2000 AOL chat
http://tinyurl.com/37lgz