Were Dumbledore & Snape involved in James & Lilly's death+ LV downfall?

[ilubom]

No: HPFGUIDX 90008

Greetings everyone,

I've got another crazy theory I'd like to float. It's a bit lengthy 
so please bear with me.

I was thinking about DD's explanation to Harry about why LV decided 
to try to kill him as a baby - ie that Trelawney's prophesy was 
partly overheard by a Deatheater, and the story has some gaping 
holes in it.

DD was there for a basic job interview of ST, he says himself that 
he did not expect to hear anything interesting that night. So why 
would anyone bother eavesdropping on the conversation? Also, it is a 
bit of an unlikely coincidence that the eavesdropper was discovered 
just when he/she heard enough to encourage LV to attack Harry, but 
did not hear anything else. And, if the eavesdropper was discovered -
 why was he/she only ejected from the bar - if it was so important 
that the prophesy was not heard at all - why not modify their memory?

My theory is that Dumbledore, probably with Snape's assistance made 
sure that LV was aware of the first part of the prophesy and, in 
effect sent LV after Harry + his parents. I know it sounds crazy, 
but let me explain.


- we know from OoP that *the only* person who had a chance of 
defeating LV forever would be born at the end of July...etc and 
would be marked by LV as his equal. That means that LV attacking 
this person (Harry) was an essential pre-requisite to LV's downfall. 
If he did not do this, there would not be anyone who would be able 
to defeat him forever.
- we also know that DD was in a tireless battle against LV and, from 
his statement about not caring about faceless multitudes dying 
(which I do not think he meant literally) we know that he is capable 
of sacrificing himself or others for the course.
- we know that DD trusts Snape, but do not really know why. Just 
because Snape became a spy for the other side is not really enough. 
If he betrayed one side, he could as easily betray the other. So why 
does DD trust him?
- oh, and we also know that Snape started working at Hogwarts around 
the time of Lilly and James' death - when Umbridge asks him in OoP 
(in early October) how long he's been working at Hogwarts he 
says "fourteen years".


Ok, knowing all that - what about this scenario:

DD hears the prophesy from ST. He realises that, in order to have 
any chance to be rid of LV, one of the boys who fit the description 
of the prophesy has to be marked by LV as his equal and to have 
powers that LV does not know of. He realises of course that LV is 
unlikely to "mark" either Harry or Neville unless he has a reason to 
do so. How can he do so? - by making sure that LV knows only the 
first part of the prophesy!

Snape may have just started at Hogwarts or is about to and 
Dumbledore knows that he is a former death eater who has turned spy. 
It is possible that LV thought that he was positioning Snape at 
Hogwarts to spy on DD. DD can use Snape, probably with Snape's full 
knowledge, to feed the information to LV. Snape, in accordance with 
the plan, tells LV only the first part of the prophecy. He knows 
that by doing so, he sets in motion LV's downfall. This is why DD 
trusts him - what better proof can there be that he is no longer a 
supporter of LV than by becoming the instrument of his downfall. 
Snape would also be in perfect position to pass on information 
without arousing suspicion - if he is working at Hogwarts it is not 
at all extraordinary that he overheard the prophecy - there is no 
reason why LV would not believe him.

DD would certainly remember the ancient magic that saved Harry, he 
probably counted on it. In fact, Lilly and James could have been in 
on the plan, they knew that they would have to die to save Harry in 
order to enable LV's eventual defeat. DD would also suspect that LV 
would not remember about this ancient magic - he said that LV always 
despised it and ignored it to his own disadvantage. Therefore DD 
knew how Harry could have power that LV "knows not of".

Basically, the theory is that DD, with Snape's assistance set in 
motion a chain of events that he knew was the only way to bring 
about LV's downfall and in the process he sacrificed James and Lilly 
(possibly with their knowledge/consent). Naturally, he would not 
tell this to Harry - one could only imagine what his reaction would 
be if he found out.