Dumbledore's trust for Severus Snape.

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 138061


Finwitch:
 
> 
> Because Dumbledore believed his story. That's it. There is no secret 
> reason (although Tonks &co. feel more comfortable to belive there 
> was), just that. Dumbledore trusted Severus Snape simply because 
> Dumbledore is a trusting man. Because Dumbledore believes very firmly 
> in the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'.
> 
 
Hickengruendler:

I disagree. I think this is what JKR wants us to believe, both in her 
vague statements in her interviews and during Harry's thoughts in the 
books, but this contradicts what we know about Dumbledore, IMO. He is 
not that trusting. He didn't trust Tom Riddle. He might have given him 
the benefit of a doubt, but he didn't trust him and decided to keep an 
eye on him. He also didn't trust anyone of James' and Lily's friends. 
Instead, he wanted to be their Secret Keeper himself, meaning that 
although he still worked with them, he wasn't sure about either Sirius 
or Remus or Peter. That means that he probably wants to believe the 
best of everybody, but he is not foolish enough to expect it. 

And yet this man doesn't waver a second in his trust in someone who was 
not only a Death Eater, but who also was as a student probably as much 
in the Dark Arts as Tom Riddle was? I really don't think so. I still 
believe Dumbledore knows more about Snape than we do, and that's why he 
trusts him.

Hickengruendler