Occlumency, Snape, Harry's House, and Absolutes

[Michelle]

No: HPFGUIDX 138175

Rather than reply to several posts, I am going to address a couple 
of things.

1. Occlumency:  It is my understanding that Occlumency, with the 
exception of Harry and Voldy, that the Occlumens and the Legilimens 
must be occupying similar space for it to be effective.  Therefore, 
whether the rest of the Order knew that Snape was or was not on 
their side, Voldy would not know via Legilimency unless he was in 
the same room, specifically addressing the Order member in question.

The Harry-Voldy connection being, of course, a result of the failed 
AK.  But we all knew that.  If it were the same way with everyone, 
then Snape could have Legilimensed Harry from whereever he wanted.  

Onthe same subject, I've been relistening to OotP and I believe that 
Harry never had to say "He's got Padfoot", because Snape is a good 
Leglimens and Harry sucks at Occlumency.  Just my opinion, naturally.

2. Snape: When I first read HBP, I felt like Snape had betrayed 
everyone.  He was lower than the lowest lifeform I could think of.  
Then I read several posts on HPFGU and considered the BIG picture.  
I am in the Snape-isn't-quite-as-bad-as-it-appears group.  I feel 
the hatred, etc etched on his face was replusion toward what he knew 
he had to do.  Dumbledore wasn't begging for his life, he was 
reminding Snape that he had an obligation to the BIGGER picture.  It 
is also my opinon that Snape was protecting Harry as Snape was 
fleeing.  He was giving him advice on how to best fight Voldy and 
the DEs.  

Snape's offense at Harry's coward comments, I believe, was not 
toward being called a coward because he was fleeing and he had 
just "murdered" Dumbledore, but because only he knew of the 
magnitude of his actions and how they affect the bigger picture.  

I feel kinda bad for dear Snapey.  He's in an aboslutely crap 
position.  Unless, of course, he is ESE, but I choose not to believe 
that.  

3. Harry's House: Perhaps he would have excelled in Slytherin, but 
when he uses Sectumsempra against Malfoy, it is incredibly plain why 
he is NOT in Slytherin.  Unlike the things that other SLytherins had 
done to other people, Harry was "horrified" by what he had done.  He 
implies that he would never had used the curse if he knew what it 
did.  That speaks volumes about where he does or does not belong.  

4. Absolutes: After being an active poster when I first joined this 
group almost 4 years ago, being a lurker for about 3 years, and 
actively reading now that HBP has come out, I have found that the 
one thing that annoys me the most is that people try to deal in 
absolutes.  We cannot know EXACTLY what Jo means when she does this, 
that or the other.  Yes, she clarifies (or not) in interviews and we 
have what she has written in the books, but who are we to say "she 
WILL do this" or "she WON'T do that"?

The are no absolutes, save for what she has given us in her books 
and her interviews.  She has left an ENORMOUS amount for us to 
ponder and theorize about until the next (sigh ... last) book comes 
out, but is Dumbledore dead?  We can only speculate.  Much of the 
evidence points to yes, but some of it points to perhaps not.  Is 
RAB Regulus?  Many people think it is, but we get the 7th book in 
our grubby little hands.  Could Malfoy have really gone through with 
it?  I don't think so ... I think he's just a scared little boy.

Dealing in absolutes is dangerous when 19,000 people with differing 
opinions are involved.  There are few absolutes in this series, we 
should have all learned that by now!

I mean no offense to members of the list ... 

And on a mildy related note, does anyone know if Jim Dale did the 
Audio CD version of HBP?  I LOVE him doing the rest of them and 
would be delighted to find out I can have him read me HBP as well!

Oh, and I think the title of the 7th book should be "Harry Potter 
and How Voldemort Got His *ss Handed To Him By a 17 Year Old Wizard 
That He Couldn't Kill As a Baby".

Maybe that's too long and Ms. GrandPre would have trouble drawing 
Harry and Voldy in such a situation! <vbeg>

May your days be filled with challenging thoughts ...

Michelle :)