Who killed Dumbledore? WAS: Re: Karmic justice in Potterverse again.

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 145087


> zgirnius:
> I agree Snape probably 'fired the fatal shot'...however, I do want to 
> mention something in connection to the timing of a death by 
> poisoning. Snape came on to the scene and appeared to be weighing his 
> options. He looked around, he approached Dumbledore, and 'gazed' at 
> him. Then he made his decision.
> 
> Why? It could be he just decided it was the best move, as discussed 
> at length in earlier threads. Or he had a standing order from 
> Dumbledore which these circumstances matched. Or perhaps Dumbledore 
> communicated his order at the moment.
> 
> OR...it could be that he realized Dumbledore had just died. 

Sydney: 

For me it comes down to Dumbledore's pleading-- whatever he was asking
Snape to do, I don't think he would have been PLEADING unless 

a) the situation was one that would be immediately resonant
emotionally with Snape, and D-dore could anticipate Snape's response
b) Dumbledore did not confidently expect Snape to do what D-dore was
asking, in fact the pleading is described so very strongly that I
would say D-dore was nearly sure that Snape WOULDN'T do what he was
asking, and
c) the consequences of Snape NOT complying with D-dore's pleading
would be deeply bad

The pleading intersects so very neatly with the Unbreakable Vow and
all the other choreographed circumstances; so the interpretation of
D-dore begging Snape to fullfill the Vow rather than dying himself
slips in just like the missing piece of a jigsaw.  Any other
interpretation of that scene IMO requires a little bit of snipping and
shoving a piece that doesn't quite fit.  Harry actually being the one
to kill D-dore with the poison would be an awesome piece of plotting
but I don't think that's the one called for here.

-- Sydney