Dumbledore and Death

[ceridwennight]

No: HPFGUIDX 138015

> houyhnhnm <celizwh at i...>:
*(snip)*
> I, too, felt that Dumbledore's pleading on the tower is 
> significant and I have been puzzled by it.  It seems out of 
> character for both Snape and Dumbledore that there would have 
> been complete candor between them regarding the UV.  The idea
> that Dumbledore has a "plan" for Snape to kill him is just too 
> grotesque.  And out of character for Rowling.  But the idea 
> that Dumbledore would plead for his life is equally unbelievable.
> 
> I believe what happened on the tower is that when Snape arrives, 
> the die is cast.  There are only two choices... *(snip)*

Ceridwen:
Just for speculation, and just as out of character as anything else, 
how's this:
Dumbledore isn't pleading.  Not for life, and not for death.  He is 
trying to get Snape's attention to tell him something.  Someone 
mentioned elsewhere that Dumbledore, a polite gentleman raised in a 
very polite era in his childhood and youth, almost never 
says 'please'.  So, why now?

Because he wants Snape's attention.  'Severus... please... <i>listen 
to me</i>'.  It's what comes after that is pure and unadulterated 
speculation, based on no canon that I know of.  No canon can exist, 
because we see neither Snape's nor Dumbledore's POVs in this scene.

'Severus... please... <i>IMPERIO! Kill me!</i>'

Or, less shocking for Dumbledore, 'Severus... please... <i>Kill me, 
I'm dead already/dying and it hurts!</i>'

It could be anything, and we've all had our fun.  We've all 
speculated from our own takes on the scene.  A couple:
'Severus... please... <i>Harry is Stupified in his invisibility 
cloak behind the door, get the DEs out of here</i>'
'Severus... please... <i>don't destroy the faith I've had in you</i>'

But I'm tossing out the idea that Dumbledore calls for Snape's 
attention, Imperio's him, and forces him to do the deed.  I don't 
necessarily believe it, but left with what we do have in canon, 
which is a very suddenly, IMO, OC!Snape, or as someone else said, 
our first glimpse of DE!Snape, it's about as wild as any other 
theory out there.

Ceridwen, who says that theories are fun.