Does Snape know the prophecy? (was: Simple!Snape?)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 124944



> 
> SSSusan:
> I realize I have been going on the assumption that several of the 
> members of The Order know of the prophecy.  I assumed that Arthur & 
> Molly, Sirius, Lupin, Snape & likely Moody each know about it.  Do 
> others think I'm wrong in this belief? 
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

Well, it depends on what you mean by "Know of" and "Know About."  I
think it's fairly obvious that at some point they found out a prophecy
exists.  However, I don't think we have any evidence for WHEN they
found out, and I certainly don't think we have any evidence for them
knowing the CONTENTS of the prophecy.  I suspect that many of the
Order members, especially the Weasleys, only found out about the
existance of the prophecy during Harry's fifth year.  And I strongly
doubt that any of them, including Snape, know the contents.

Your point about DD trusting Snape is a good one, but I don't think it
really speaks to whether Snape would know the prophecy.  If DD has
witheld the prophecy from Snape, it isn't, I suspect because he
doesn't trust Snape, but because this is a very personal piece of
information related to Harry and DD sees it as HARRY'S privilege to
determine who knows about it.  

As someone (and I can't remember who it was) pointed out a couple of
months ago, DD is privileged to know a lot of secrets about a lot of
people.  However, just because he knows them doesn't mean he thinks
they are HIS secrets to give out.  In fact, that is the very hallmark
of a trustworthy person - he doesn't give out other people's secrets,
even to people he himself trusts.

This argument might well be used for the REASON DD trusts Snape.  That
is, he constantly says he trusts Snape, but he won't tell Harry why. 
Is that because he doesn't trust Harry?  I don't think so (I know
Harry is connected to Voldy, but I happen to think he wouldn't tell
Harry even if there was no connection with Voldemort).  He won't tell
Harry because this is a secret about Snape he is entrusted with and he
won't reveal it except under dire necessity or unless Snape gives him
permission.

Similarly, I suspect he sees the prophecy as a secret about Harry that
he won't reveal except under the same circumstances.  He probably gave
the Order the absolute minimum amount of information they needed to
function (and probably too little at that, judging by OOTP).

Now, you can say that this policy of DD's is objectively rather
foolish.  He is putting the WW in danger because of his sense of
responsibility toward certain individuals.  But we have already seen
that DD admittedly sometimes puts personal affection/sense of personal
duty over grander considerations.

That isn't very satisfactory to the people involved.  His answers to
Harry about why he trusts Severus are an implied "None of your
business."  I strongly suspect his answers to Severus about his
policies toward Harry are a similar "None of your business."  And thus
we get to the mystery of why DD has not acted sooner and more strongly
to defuse the poisonous relationship between Harry and Severus.  I
think maybe, in part, it's because in order to do that he would have
to reveal secrets to each of them about the other, and he feels he has
no right to act in that manner.  Once again, you can argue that is a
foolish policy, but I think its one very consistent with the
Dumbledore we have seen to this point, and with the strengths and
flaws that have been revealed about his character.


Lupinlore