Let's hear it for good old Snapey!

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 88063

Still behind by about 200 posts, I've chased this interesting thread
from where I left off at New Year's Eve to the present.  It's actually
part of a subject that drives me crazy:  just what is Dumbledore doing
and not doing with regard to Harry and Voldemort?  Sometimes I am
almost ready to believe pretty much everything Kneasy, the Seargent
Majorette  or Talisman propose, and sometimes I am just about ready to
climb aboard the Badd Angst.  Gah!  I wish I could settle on a theory;
it would give me so much more of a stable point of view from which to
read the books, as well as a real position to argue from, which is
much more fun than continually asking questions.  <grumble>

Okay, rant over. Something Talisman said in a reply to Alla sparked a
question in me.

Talisman gives a succinct summary of her view of the purpose of
Occlumency lessons:
> 
> Even without exploring the bigger picture, you can find concrete 
> canon for the facts that 1) DD knew the effect Occlumency lessons 
> would have on Harry; 2) DD knew the Occlumency lessons weren't 
> continuing; 3) DD knew Voldemort would try to lure Harry to the 
> prophecy orb; 4) DD knew Sirius would go to Harry's rescue,  5) DD 
> anticipated that Voldemort would possess Harry , and 6) DD hoped--
> and then knew--that Harry`s heightened feelings of love for his lost 
> godfather would repel Voldemort and allow DD to resume contact with 
> Harry.  

Annemehr:

Talisman, regarding your point: 1) DD knew the effect of Occlumency
lessons: suddenly (or did you ever say this before?) I have to wonder
if what Snape was doing was even the *real* way to teach Occlumency? 
After all, Harry is innately good at resisting Imperius and Veelas,
but for some mysterious reason can seem to make little headway in
these lessons.  He had only two breakthroughs: one, at the beginning,
where Snape got too close to the Cho memory, and then nothing for a
very long time until (two months later) Harry managed the Protego
charm (ch. 26, US p.591).

Besides, though some have posted that Harry never even tried to learn
Occlumency, I see canon evidence to the contrary.  In ch. 25,
beginning on p. 553 (US):

"In fact Harry would have given a great deal to be making as much
progress at Occlumency as Neville was making during D.A. meetings. 
Harry's sessions with Snape, which had started badly enough, were not
improving; on the contrary, Harry felt he was getting worse with every
lesson. [skip several paragraphs to p. 554]

"'It's lessons with Snape that are making it worse,' said Harry
flatly.  'I'm getting sick of my scar hurting, and I'm getting bored
walking down that corridor every night.'  He rubbed his forehead
angrily.  'I just wish the door would open, I'm sick of standing
staring at it --'

'That's not funny,' said Hermione sharply.  'Dumbledore doesn't want
you to have dreams about that corridor at all, or he wouldn't have
asked Snape to teach you Occlumency.  You're just going to have to
work a bit harder in you lessons.'

'I am working!' said Harry, nettled.  'You try it sometime, Snape
trying to get inside your head, it's not a bundle of laughs, you know!'"

So Harry says he's working at it, and there is no indication that he's
lying, no feelings of guilt that he hasn't tried.  And immediately
following this is when Ron wonders whether Snape isn't deliberately
trying to get Harry's mind more open to LV.

Then, ch. 26 (p. 577 US):

"After a few minutes, however, he remembered that he was supposed to
be emptying his mind of all emotions before he slept, as Snape kept
instructing him at the end of every Occlumency lesson.

He tried for a moment or two, but the thought of Snape on top of
memories of Umbridge merely increased his sense of grumbling
resentment, and he found himself focusing instead  on how much he
loathed the pair of them...."

And of course, he fell asleep and began to dream about the door again.
 And I will add here that Snape certainly seemed to take great care to
keep Harry's feelings of anger and resentment quite well stirred up
during Potions classes, didn't he?

Finally, in ch.28 (p. 636 US), just before Harry explores Snape's
pensieve:

"Harry spent the whole of the next day dreading what Snape was going
to say if he found out how much farther into the Department of
Mysteries he had penetrated during his last dream.  With a surge of
guilt he realized that he had not practiced Occlumency once since
their last lesson:  There had been too much going on since Dumbledore
had left.  He was sure he would not have been able to empty his mind
even if he had tried.  He doubted, however, whether Snape would accept
that excuse....

He attempted a little last-minute practice during classes that day,
but it was no good, Hermione kept asking him what was wrong whenever
he fell silent trying to rid himself of all thought and emotion and,
after all, the best moment to empty his brain was not while teachers
were firing review questions at the class."

I assert that the first paragraph of this quote implies that Harry had
been trying to practice Occlumency *before* the previous lesson.  This
quote is the last I could find about practice before the Pensieve
scene; I'm not sure whether there are any more before or after this or
not (dang hard to find anything in this book).

So, yes, not only did Dumbledore know that the lessons would open
Harry's mind further to LV, but I'm not even sure those truly *were*
Occlumency lessons, even if Harry was distracted by wanting to see
behind the door.  Though Harry does sometimes have trouble learning
something (Summoning Charms), Occlumency ought to be one of his
strengths, as it is DADA and supposedly related to resisting Imperius.
 Though it's true Harry feels strongly LV's wish to get behind the
black door, it's also true that he does seem to attempt to learn, but
is frustrated by not really knowing how and by too many strong
emotions (of which Snape is a prime contributor).  And after all, the
wish to see behind the black door is not Harry's fault; rather it's
the very reason for the lessons themselves, whether one believes DD
wishes Harry to see the full vision or not.

If Harry ever does learn and understand Occlumency, what will he think
of Snape's lessons then?

Talisman's points 2-5 I agree with, and then we come to point #6:

Talisman:
6) DD hoped--
> and then knew--that Harry`s heightened feelings of love for his lost 
> godfather would repel Voldemort and allow DD to resume contact with 
> Harry.  

Annemehr:

This refers to Talisman's theory that DD arranged for Sirius' death
because he believed it would be what inured Harry to LV's presence in
Harry's mind.  I once posted a long explanation about why I am sure DD
could not have killed Sirius himself.  Though I still think that is
true, very shortly after that a whole thread started about how Lupin
could have done it, making my post completely irrelevant!  So, I am
back to square one as far as this issue goes, too (drat!).

One thing I am really beginning to expect, though, is that Harry will
begin to find some things out about what DD has done or is doing which
will put DD in a very bad light, and one of the pivotal points in the
series will be whether Harry decides to trust him or not.  I find this
prospect delicious, and I think a lot of Talisman's theories may enter
into this, and whether Harry will believe any of it is true or accept
any of it as right.

Talisman:
> I must say that I am now leaning toward an idea that demetra1225 
> sent me, to the effect that Sirius acceded to this plan.

Annemehr:
I could believe that Sirius would give his life, and even that DD
might ask it of him, but then why the look of shock on Sirius' face as
he fell through the veil?  Maybe it was just the timing or something? 

> Talisman,
> Who always appreciates a sense of humor, too.

Annemehr
who does, too, and wishes she could oblige, but is not very confident
in her ability to be funny just now... (turns out I'm writing this
until after 5:00 a.m.)  :P