JKR Chat "The Crucial and Central Question"

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 92412

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Deb" <DBoyken at a...> wrote:

Deb: 
> 2. I think he assigned Snape to teach occlumency (one) because he 
> didn't want to risk Voldemort knowing he cared about Harry, as he 
> told him, but also (two) I think he was hoping Snape & Harry might 
> find some common ground, something sympathetic in the other. 
> Dumbledore seems to be an optimist where human relationships are 
> concerned--he hoped that Snape and Sirius would put aside their 
> animosity--I think he's hoping that Harry and Snape will work 
> TOGETHER at some point. The fact that they hate each other so much 
> that Snape threw Harry out and Harry never thought to go to Snape 
> about his vision pretty much shows that THAT's not going to happen 
> any time soon, but I think Dumbledore is hoping!

Geoff:
I don't think that is a totally accurate reading of Harry's actions. 
Harry goes to try to see Professor McGonagall and finds she has been 
taken to St.Mungo's.

"He remained quite still, looking at Madam Pomfrey. Terror was rising 
inside him.
There was nobody left to tell. Dumbledore had gone, Hagrid had gone 
but he had always expected Professor McGonagall to be there, 
irascible and inflexible perhaps, but always dependably, solidly 
present....."

(OOTP "Out of the Fire" p.644 UK edition)

So he tries to contact Sirius via Umbridge's fire and they are 
caught. Let's continue.....

"(Umbridge speaking) 'Draco - fetch Professor Snape.'
Malfoy stowed Harry's wand inside his robes and left the room 
smirking but Harry hardly noticed. He had just realised something: he 
could not believe he had been so stupid as to forget it. He had 
thought that all the members of the Order, all those who could help 
him save Sirius were gone - but he had been wrong. There was still a 
member of the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts - Snape."

(same chapter p.655)

It was not animosity that kept him away from Snape; it was pure 
forgetfulness. Perhaps Snape is not the sort of person who pops into 
Harry's mind naturally but we do see that, up to that point, he had 
thought himself alone.