New thoughts on Occlumency

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 100658

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" 
<willsonkmom at m...> wrote:
> A cover story was made up to explain why Harry was meeting 
regularly  with Snape: Remedial Potions.  It's a pretty good one 
actually, so  long as no one walks in on the lessons.  But Malfoy 
did.  
<snip>But Malfoy isn't stupid and if he thinks about it at all, he's 
bound to wonder.  And, worse, if he says something to 
Umbridge, she's bound to wonder. And the last thing Snape 
would want is Umbridge watching the remedial lessons.
> 
> It may well be that this possibility played into stopping the 
> lessons.  Particularly as they didn't appear to be going well.
>

Pippin:
I have to agree here. All we know is why the lessons were 
interrupted. We don't know why they weren't resumed, and until 
we do, any attempt to apportion responsibility between Snape, 
Harry and Dumbledore is premature, IMO. 

Potioncat:
> Next idea.  Occlumency is an obscure branch of magic.  You 
wouldn't  advertise your abiltiy.  How does Lupin know that 
Snape is so good  at it?  At least twice he's praised Snape to 
Harry.  Once when he  talks about his Potion making skills and 
once with the comment about Occlumency.  Is this good Lupin 
trying to get Harry to see Snape  differently?  Or is this 
ESE!Lupin 
up to no good?<

Pippin:
It's another clue that Lupin is a legilimens, for one thing. But it 
brings up something else I've been wondering about. Voldemort 
doesn't have a scar. How can he tell whether his attempts to 
plant information in Harry's head are working--unless of course 
he can get Snape to look  for him and report back?  So the 
Occlumency lessons are in Voldemort's interest, particularly if 
they don't succeed. Naturally ESE!Lupin* wants them to 
continue.

This explains how DoubleAgent!Snape could get away with 
teaching Occlumency to Harry if Voldemort knew what he was 
doing. Dumbledore of course would be aware of Voldemort's 
motives, but would hope that Harry would be able to learn 
Occlumency well enough to foil Voldemort before too much 
damage was done. Of course that would make it even more 
imperative that Harry  be told nothing about the Prophecy, or 
anything else that Voldemort might find useful.

Pippin

*for the orginal ESE!Lupin theory please see post 39362