Snape and Occlumency

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 121590


> Inkling chimed in:
> <snip>
> I recently read a essay in Galadriel Waters' latest book, The Plot 
> Thickens, by a German fan with the screen name Stic.  The essay is 
> called Voldemort's Pawns and it that contends that what made LV the 
> happiest he had been in fourteen years that night of the first 
> lesson was not the Death Eaters release, but that Snape reported he 
> was working on opening Harry Potter's mind.  This makes sense to 
> me.  After all, what has been LV's raging obsession for fourteen 
> years?  Not the Death Eaters.
>

Neri:
An interesting speculation, but it sounds a bit foolish even for 
Voldy. If he wanted to test if the way was open, couldn't he do it 
more covertly, and control his emotions a bit? Especially if Snape 
was indeed his agent and he didn't want to cast any suspicion on him.

> Inkling: 
> Notice how cleverly JKR raises the possibility of Snape 
deliberately 
> opening Harry's mind.  She hides it in plain sight by mentioning 
it  
> in such a way that it is immediately overlooked.  First she has Ron 
> argue the point and Hermione do the Oh-Ron-you're-always-wrong-
about-
> Snape thing.  Then Harry himself tells Dumbledore after the battle 
> at the MoM, but he includes it in a rush of complaints about Snape, 
> finishing with the fact that Snape stopped giving him lessons.  "I 
> am aware of it," replies Dumbledore to the complaint about the 
> lessons ending, and then remarks that he should have known better 
> than to suppose Snape could overcome his feelings about James.  
> We're left uncertain as to whether the bit about Snape opening 
> Harry's mind registered with DD in the emotions of the moment.  
> Certainly he does not respond to it. 

Neri:
Immediately before the sentence you quoted, DD says:

"I have already said that it was a mistake for me not to teach you 
myself, though I was sure, at the time, that nothing could have been 
more dangerous than to open your mind even further to Voldemort while 
in my presence - "

This implies that, had DD himself taught Harry occlumency, he also 
would have "opened Harry's mind even further to Voldemort". It seems 
that this is an unavoidable part of occlumency for beginners. So I 
agree with Lupinlore (in a post several days ago): Snape's mistake 
here was that he did not warn Harry in advance (nor even after the 
fact) of this danger. Either he didn't know, or (more likely) he was 
too resentful to care. The obvious result was that Harry had lost 
what was left of his trust in Snape. This was a bad result for Snape 
whether he was acting on DD's side or on LV's side. So I tend to 
think that Snape was guided here by his emotions rather than by 
careful planning. This is of course rather ironic considering his 
lecture to Harry about subtlety and controlling emotions. 

> 
> Inkling (who loves Snape, has very reluctantly come to these 
> suspicions, and would love to be argued out of them)

Neri:
I'm not sure I was helpful ;-)