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

[rachaelmcadams]

No: HPFGUIDX 135369

Betsy Hp wrote:
> EXACTLY!!  Because this is what it comes down to. Both Dumbledore 
> and Voldemort think they've got a bead on Snape.  They both feel 
> like they've taken a measure of the man and come up with a correct 
> answer.  Only one of them can be right, IMO.  And I honestly cannot 
> wrap my mind around the idea of *Voldemort* being a better judge of 
> character than Dumbledore.

Rachael now:
But one of them doesn't have to be right - it's possible that neither 
really judges Snape correctly.

Betsy Hp: 
> In many ways these books revolve around choosing a side.  Even 
those 
> who appear to avoid choosing (Umbridge, for example) wind up on a 
> side.  (Umbridge did quite a bit to help Voldemort in OotP, even if 
> inadvertantly.)  Every character ends up making a choice to side 
> with Dumbledore or to side with Voldemort.  That's why I'm leery of 
> the idea of Dumbledore making Snape take an Unbreakable Vow, which 
> takes away Snape's ability to choose, and it's why I doubt that 
> Snape is only out for himself, which is an attempt to side-step the 
> choice.  Snape definitely made a choice, IMO, and somehow I doubt 
he 
> could have fooled Dumbledore as to his choice so thoroughly and for 
> so long.

Rachael:
I agree with you on the theory that Dumbledore would make Snape take 
an Unbreakable Vow - with Dumbledore's character, the most I could 
see is that he would see if Snape would be willing to make the vow 
and take that; but he wouldn't make someone make it. I think 
Dumbledore would trust in a person (in this case, Snape) to not have 
to make them take the vow.

Also, I don't think Snape not really being on either side side-steps 
the choice.  He makes choices that he feels will benefit himself, but 
feels no true loyalty to Voldemort or Dumbledore.  And I think that 
choice says a lot about him.  And I think the reason he could fool 
Dumbledore so long is that he never really felt loyalty to Voldemort 
and life on Dumbledore's side was just better, so he was not 
intending to revert to being a DE, until the power seemed to shift to 
Voldemort's side.

I'd also like to add that my theory about Snape just looking out for 
himself with no loyalty to either side doesn't make him less evil 
than if he was a DE.

Rachael
who agreed with the rest of Betsy Hp's post, which is why she had to 
snip it all out