"Snape's Job"

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 93708

Carol:
<snip>  And BTW, in GoF, at least, Hermione repeatedly reminds Ron
that Dumbledore trusts Snape. I can't remember whether she does the
same thing in OoP. But rather than saying that it's the Trio who
doesn't trust Snape, I'd say it's Ron and Harry. <snip>
  
Gadfly McLellyn:

If Dumbledore trusts Snape then why at the end of GOF when Dumbledore 
> says to Snape "you know what I must ask you to do" segment he looks 
> at him with "a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept 
> wordlessly after Sirius" p713 US paperback Parting of the Ways 
> chapter?  He may be telling the pupils he trusts Snape because he 
> doesn't want to undermine his teachers authority.  But that passage 
> does open some doubt that Dumbledore does trust Snape.  Dumbledore 
> can be fooled....think of QuirrelMort, Evil!Moody

Carol:
IMO, DD's apprehension is for Snape's safety. He's clearly doing
something dangerous and DD is afraid he may be captured or killed, not
that he'll betray the Order. He wishes him "good luck" as he walks out
the door, evidence of his hope and concern, not of his suspicion. DD
wouldn't trust Snape with such a dangerous assignment or with teaching
Harry occlumency if he didn't trust him, and he makes the same
assertion about trusting him at the end of OoP: "'I trust Severus
Snape,'" said Dumbledore simply" (OoP Am. ed. 833). Snape has either
saved Harry or shown himself trustworthy in some other way in every
book. Note that Snape's image appeared in the foe glass along with
Dumbledore's and McGonagall's in GoF. They are clearly on the same
side--and all of them were enemies of DE Crouch. Note also that JKR in
her latest chat said that DD trusts Snape because he believes his story.

I agree that DD can be fooled, as he certainly was by Quirrell and
Crouch!Moody, but he's been working with Snape for fourteen years, not
counting the year during which Snape was a spy for DD before
Voldemort's fall. Snape is always at his side in a crisis as his
right-hand man. I'll be very surprised, and very disappointed, if DD
is wrong about Snape.

Carol