Heroes and Not - What should Snape Have Done?

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 145306

Miles:
> Nice theory, thanks.
> But there is one thing you cannot explain - what is Dumbledore 
pleading for?
> For his life? Completely OOC, if you ask me.
> So, if Snape has only one choice, there is nothing Dumbledore could 
ask or
> plead him to do or not to do. Assuming DDM!Snape, Dumbledore knew 
about the
> vow.

Ceridwen:
You're welcome.  Anything to tickle the fancy.

I don't think Dumbledore would plead for his life.  You're right, 
completely OOC.  Dumbledore's already stated that to the well-
organized mind, death is the next great adventure.

But, does Dumbledore have to be pleading for anything connected 
directy and at that moment to the Tower?  There's nothing in canon to 
back that up.  Dumbledore changes from a conversational tone to 
sudden and frail pleading the minute Snape shows up.  The change was 
so noteworthy that Harry's blood runs cold, or somesuch phrase.  It 
was attention-getting.

But, why would he have had to plead for his life, for his death, for 
Snape to save Harry, Draco, the Order members fighting downstairs, or 
Hogwarts?  He could have been *merely* trying to get Snape's 
attention.  It could have been about anything that had been discussed 
privately before.  It could have been about their conversation in the 
forest, if that topic kept coming up all year between them, though we 
only have canon for the one time, and then only a partial 
conversation.  It could have been a reminder for anything.  
Dumbledore never says.  He obviously wants Snape's attention, and he 
obviously, IMO, feels that he can drop the strong act now and show 
how weak he has become.  Aside from that, we don't know squat about 
why he did it.  Dumbledore can't say, and Snape isn't saying.

Miles:
> You really have a problem apart from this. You have canon for "the 
UV will
> kill you, when you break it". I agree, it is questionable because 
of Ron.
> But you have absolutely no canon for your own interpretation of
> "unbreakable". And no, your examples for curses and jinxes that 
limit choice
> are no canon for your theory. As we all know, there is no 
recognisable
> "theory" behind Rowling's magic. I'm afraid she never made anything 
like
> that, there are simply potions, curses and other kinds of magic, 
but you
> cannot say "this is possible, so according to magical logic and 
theory that
> has to be possible as well". No, that is not Rowling, not 
Potterverse.

Ceridwen:
As far as I can see, JKR uses words in a competent manner.  When she 
says Dumbledore's beard is white, it isn't brown.  When she makes up 
names for spells, those names have something to do with what the 
spell, curse, charm, hex, jinx, whatever, does.  She uses words 
creatively as well, and uses puns.  When she says a location 
is 'Unplottable', it is.  When JKR names a vow 'Unbreakable', it 
probably is.  IMO, but then, I do have the dictionary to back me up, 
and JKR's consistent use of language.

Miles:
> Your idea is possible, but not probable. And it lacks the 
explanation for
> Dumbledore's pleading, that the "UV kills you" variation provides. 
So -
> south korean theory ;).

Ceridwen:
I'm not familiar with the phrase, 'south korean theory'.  Sounds 
interesting.  Could you explain, including where it comes from?

My idea is as probable as any other being floated on the board and 
elsewhere.  And it would explain Snape's actions on the tower for all 
versions of Snape.  Since it's only speculation that Dumbledore is 
pleading for Snape to do the deed, my version doesn't suffer because 
of that, either.  There have been many explanations offered for the 
plea, including, Don't do it now, I have so much left to teach Harry; 
Don't split your soul; Sacrifice me for the good of Hogwarts; Do go 
into 'deep cover' with LV as we need you to do.

And, in fact, if my version is correct, then that last, a plea to go 
deeper under cover, would be the explanation for the plea.  The 
argument in the forest, which was only partially overheard so our 
minds can go into overdrive speculating on that, would then be about 
Snape wanting out of the spying game altogether.  It's too much on 
his nerves, it's a strain, Dumbledore just doesn't get how hard it 
is.  This was suggested by someone, I don't remember who.  But it 
would neatly cover the plea as a Last Request from Dumbledore to 
Snape.  He has been tying up loose ends throughout the book, from his 
visit with the Dursleys to trying to cram as many lessons in with 
Harry as he can, to the point of being sharp with Harry about getting 
Slughorn's unabridged memory.  He is trying to secure his spy, who 
may or may not become a saboteur in this scenario as someone else 
suggested recently, and making it his last request.  Snape would know 
what he means, without using Legilimency, because they would have 
been discussing it all along.  It's that sort of topic.

But, in the end, any explanation for Dumbledore's plea is pure 
speculation.  No canon for it at all.  While we all try to fit the 
plea into some semblance of an idea of the whole, we have *nothing* 
to go on but the way we interpret the rest of canon.

Anyway, thanks for the chance of seeing how the various 'Last Plea' 
explanations fit in!

Ceridwen.