Omniscient Dumbledore (Was Re: Snape's AK Failed!!!, and DADA responses)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 135127

Betsy:
> > Snape, on the other hand, is one of Dumbledore's most trusted 
> > confidants.  When it comes to Order work I was under the 
> > impression that Snape was pretty much Dumbledore's second.  

Nora: 
> Confidant is an interesting word, because that is exactly what JKR 
> says that Dumbledore *does not have*, in the latest interview.  I 
> suspect that we've been overestimating how much Dumbledore actually 
> tells Snape, in the sense of planning things out as an explicit 
> line of attack.  It seems much more Dumbledore's style to let Snape 
> go his own way, and then only step in when necessary.  <snip> I 
> really can't see the idea that Dumbledore and Snape set up half the 
> things we've tended to think they have.


SSSusan:
I tend to agree with Nora on this.  And, keep in mind that, overall, 
I'm *not* in agreement about who/what Snape is after HBP. ;-) That 
is, I'm NOT in the ESE!Snape camp whatsoever.  However, I think Nora 
is correct to point out that JKR just took pains to tell us that DD 
had *no* confidante... ergo, Snape wasn't one.

The other bit of evidence I believe we have that Snape wasn't privy 
to as much as we thought is that we have now been told that ONLY TWO 
PEOPLE know/knew the full contents of the prophecy: DD & Harry.  

Months ago, in one of the bazillion Snape threads in which I've 
participated, I realized that I had been running on the assumption 
that Snape was fully aware of the prophecy, that he KNEW Harry was 
Prophecy Boy and thus the WW's ONLY chance of defeating Voldy.  This 
assumption was part of why I was so hard on Snape's teaching methods 
as they concerned Harry, for instance.  Now, however, we've been told 
outright that NO ONE else knows the full content of the prophecy.  

This makes me wonder in what way -- if at all! -- DD ever shared with 
Snape just why Harry is so very important.  So, even if Snape has 
been DD's second, it still doesn't mean that he knew what the hell 
was going on in DD's mind & plans.

Siriusly Snapey Susan, surprising herself and actually posting!