Dumbledore's Hand (Was Re: Snape in HBP, a draft theory)

[vividscribbler]

No: HPFGUIDX 133220

Templar  wrote:

> This is my take of Snape's role in HBP, and from a girl that 
always 
> thought Snape was evil.  This theory could also fit for a Snape 
that 
> works for his own - very Slytherin-like...
<SNIP>
> 4. Snape and DD knew that the magical wound/jinx/hex in his hand 
> will eventually kill him... my guess is that DD would not have 
lived 
> for too long that year.
<SNIP>
> 5. When 'Cissy Malfoy asked Snape to do the Unbreakable Vow, Snape 
> already knew of Dumbledore's wound and that his position at 
Hogwarts 
> was going to be compromised if DD died soon. Plus, as a double 
spy, 
> he also needed to convince Bella of his loyalty to the Dark Lord.
> What better proof than to offer to kill Dumbledore for a DE's 
> fellow? After all, Dumbledore was going to kick the bucket sooner 
or 
> later...and in order to give Snape a bit more depth, perhaps he'd 
> really cared for Draco Malfoy.
<SNIP>




Okay, I like it, it's very Big and very bangy, but here's where I 
have a problem with this theory.

First, the canon:

Ch 4, page 67, HBP (US):
"Well, maybe you ought to think about retirement yourself," said 
Slughorn bluntrly. His pale gooseberry eyse had found Dumbledore's 
injured hand. "Reactions not what they were, I see."
"You're quite right," said Dumbledore serenely, shaking back his 
sleeve to reveal the tips of those burned and balckened fingers; the 
sight of them made the back of Harry's neck prickle unpleasantly. "I 
am undoubtedly slower than I was..."

This proves two things.
1) They are both referring to the injury he sustained while removing 
the Horcrux spell from the ring
2) It is a common enough, or well-known enough, type of injury that 
Horace Slughorn recognizes it, and the cause of it. It was caused 
because Dumbledore's relexes are not as strong as they once were, 
and presumably, he couldn't block some sort of powerful magic soon 
enough. 

Next two bits: 

In Ch 4, page 72, HBP (US), Slughorn says:
"Still...the prudent wizard keep his head down in such times. All 
very well for Dumbledore to talk, but takin up a post at Hogwarts 
just now would be tantmount to declaring my public allegiance to the 
Order of the Phoenix! And while I'm sure they're very admiarble and 
brave and all the rest of it, I dont' peronally fancy the mortality 
rate-"

And again, on pages 72-73, Slughorn says:
"Well, yes, it is true that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has never 
soutght a fight with Dumbledore," he muttered grudgingly. "And I 
suppose one could argue that as I have not joined the Death Eaters, 
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can hardly count me as a friend...in which 
case, I might well be safer a litle closer to Albus."

These are two solid bits of canon supporting the fact that before 
all, Slughorn looks out for himself and his own safety. He does not 
want to be killed, it is why he's been running for a year, having 
believe Albus when no one else did at the end of GOF. 

This leads me to believe that Slughorn, having recognized Albus' 
injury correctly, would not allow himself to be put in danger and 
publicly, albiet implicitly, declare himself on Dumbledore's side, 
if he believed that Dumbledore would be dead within the year. That 
would put him in even more danger then ever before, no matter how 
many powerful students you give him to influence. 

Given that, I don't think we can say that Dumbledore's death was 
imminent, just that he was getting older. Still, revise it a bit, 
and the theory might still float. 

Good luck,
Viv

On a side note: In the scene above, Dumbledore is wearing 
Voldemort's old ring, the one he removed the spell from and lost his 
hand to. Slughorn visibly notices it. Later on in the same passage 
of above, in reference to the ring, it says, "Slughorn's eyes 
lingered for a moment on the right too, and Harry saw a tiny frown 
momentarily crease his wide forehead." Later in the book, on page 
494, ch 23, we see Voldemort wearing that same ring while he sits 
chatting in Slughorn's office before he corners him about the 
Horcruxes. Dumbledore must have worn it then, after he'd disabled 
it, to get a reaction out of Slughorn or to see if he recognized it. 
I wonder if he got what he was looking for.