Explaining the danger to Harry (LONG)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 130121

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...>
wrote:

Alla:
> Nope, does not sound to me as stressing importance of the lessons
at all. If Snape sounded unconcerned, why exactly should Harry be more
concerned than him?
> 
> Amanda:
> 
> Because this conversation has the potential to include Voldemort,
as Snape  knows, Harry should know, and Snape is in the process of 
telling him in case he *doesn't* know. As I said above, I think
Snape's coolness is deliberate and is an action to protect his other 
task. 

Pippin:

It isn't only Snape who has to hide the conversation from Voldemort.
 Full disclosure: it's been a very long time since I played DandD,
but I checked with my gamer son, and he confirms that it's still
considered  a very bad idea  to brainstorm about enemy strategy 
when the DungeonMaster  is listening in. 

You don't, you *really don't*, want to give him ideas.

As they used to say in WWII, "Loose lips sink ships."
It isn't only Snape whose mind is permeable to Voldemort, it's
Harry's. The Dark Lord can't directly listen in on the lessons 
through the  mind-link, (if he could, he'd be making 
Harry do things already)  but there's the possibility that he can
pick up on Harry's memories of them later, especially if Harry 
is dwelling on them as he falls asleep.

One of Voldemort's great weaknesses is his tendency to overlook the
obvious. 

If by chance he hasn't thought of all the ways he could use the
mindlink to make Harry do  something, why give him the idea? 
The last thing Dumbledore and Snape want is to get DADA 
prodigy Harry to do Voldemort's thinking for him.

It was essential that Harry learn to block his mind without 
knowing in detail why he had to do it. I think Harry would
have had a hard time accepting that, even from Dumbledore
or Lupin.


Pippin