[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore and Snape again/ Argument in the Forest again.

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 137394

Brothergib

Snape's actions will gain Voldemort's trust, and therefore Snape will know
of 
Voldemort's plans. At present this will be more valuable to Harry 
than DD's protection.


Sherry now:

I'm actually responding to two different posts of yours.  Let me say first
that unless JKR comes out with a definite yes or no on Snape, you are not
going to convince me that he is good, and I am not going to convince you
that he is evil.  So, ok, from there, my first response to your statement
above is ... how?  how is Snape going to be of more use to Harry than
Dumbledore?  Harry will *never* listen to anything from Snape now.  He saw
him murder Dumbledore.  He'll never listen.  Snape would have to go through
someone Harry trusts.  who?  Nobody else will trust him either.  They all
accepted the Snape murdered Dumbledore statement quite easily.  As to Snape
as spy being more valuable than Dumbledore, the only wizard Voldemort fears?
I just don't believe it.  The fact that Voldemort fears Dumbledore can be a
very valuable asset and may have held him back.  Certainly, it would have
helped keep him away from Hogwarts, I would think.  Will Voldemort try to
take over Hogwarts now with whoever will be in charge next year?  To me,
there's no way Snape is anywhere near as valuable to the war as Dumbledore.


Brothergib

Snape's behaviour often suggests that he is on the side of good!


Sherry now:

I guess that is a matter of opinion and interpretation.  For years I
struggled to believe Snape as good guy.  I tried simply because of
Dumbledore's belief in Snape.  JKR had me so convinced of Dumbledore's
always being right, that I wanted to believe in Snape as mean but basically
ok.  But seriously, now that I'm free to see him as I believe he truly is,
there's nothing that suggests to me that he is good all along.  Especially
when I consider his abuse of his students.  No matter how I slice it, his
treatment of Neville is abusive and could send a kid to the wizarding
version of a psychiatrist for years.  As a former victim of emotional and
verbal abuse, I can understand how deeply it cuts and wounds, and I was an
adult, not a vulnerable child.  A man who will viciously taunt and threaten
children can't be a good guy in my opinion, and now I'm free to believe it
without the filter of Dumbledore's misplaced trust in Snape to confuse the
issue.



Brothergib

And, IMO, most damning of all, is his reaction to Harry's comment of
Coward. Again IMO, it doesn't make sense that if Snape had finally
killed DD and freed himself of Hogwarts, he would care what Harry said
to him. He would be elated and not react this way.
What makes more sense, IMO, is if Snape has just been forced to kill 
DD(on DD's orders) to ultimately help Harry (someone he doesn't think 
is up to the job) and is then called a coward, he might not be able to
control his temper!!


Sherry now:

Well, we see this completely differently.  I don't think it takes a whole
lot of courage to murder a sick and weak man.  Dumbledore was unarmed
without his wand.  Not a very brave act to walk up and do the WW version of
shooting someone in the head.  Nothing will convince me of a secret plan
between the two.  I don't find it in character for Dumbledore to give up and
die.  Not that he's afraid of death, but that he still has work to do.  his
death could well leave the WW in chaos, wide open to Voldemort who will fear
noone now.  Also, his conversation with Draco at the end did not sound like
someone who was expecting to die any minute.  He was making plans with Draco
for the future, offering ways of protection.  And no matter what plan I may
create with a friend, if someone walked up and shot me, then tried to say it
was all my idea, that person would still be tried for murder, and my friends
and associates would consider him a murderer.  For me, only if Dumbledore is
*not* dead, can the whole idea of a plan be acceptable.  Otherwise, there's
no excuse to murder, to take an innocent life.  no excuse at all.
So, as I say, until book seven, I think we will just not convince each
other.  And that's ok.  JKR must be so delighted at the hours of speculation
she has created by this one act.

sherry