A Cold Equation (was Re: The Trial Of Severus Snape)

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 141357


Sherry now:
 
> First of all, we do not know that Dumbledore 
> was dying.  We know he was sick, but we have no 
> *canon* to say he would not or could not recover.

houyhnhnm:

I didn't mean that Dumbledore was dying of either the ring horcrux
curse or the poison/cave water.  I meant that his situation on the
tower was a fatal one.  Unless you are suggesting that Dumbledore was
faking his own helplessness, I can't imagine any way that he could
have come down from the tower alive, regardless of what Snape did or
did not do.

Sherry:  

> After all, Dumbledore didn't die on two fumbled attempts of Draco's.
 > why didn't Snape keel over then?  I'm only saying that we don't
know > enough about how the vow works to know how it would have caused 
> Snape's death. Or when?

houyhnhnm:

Snape was not in Draco's confidence when Draco made the two clumsy
attempts on Dumbledore's life.  It was not in his power to "carry out
the deed".  We do know how the vow works.  If you break it, "You die".

Sherry:

> your belief that Snape murdered Dumbledore for some 
> noble cause is just as likely to be fan fiction as your 
> idea that Snape committed murder at all is.  We are simply 
> interpreting the canon we have in different ways.
[...]
> all of you who believe that Dumbledore's death was for 
> the good of everyone.

houyhnhnm:

I don't know who is saying Dumbledore's *death* was for the good of
everyone. The argument I've seen, with which I agree, is that
Dumbledore's death was inevitable.  He could either die from Snape's
AK or be killed by the DE's, possibly savaged by the werewolf.  In the
latter case, others could very well have died also, including Harry. 
  I have never said that Snape killed Dumbledore "for some noble
cause".  Please do not put words in my mouth.  His choice was the
logical one to preserve the most lives.

Sherry:

What if it's proven that Snape did indeed murder Dumbledore for his
own reasons?  if you can say that the death of Dumbledore was for the
greater good and calmly believe that, then if Snape is shown to be a
murderer either for Voldemort's sake or his own, what should happen to
him?  Would you then also advocate for his death as just punishment? 
i do not.  As I said in an earlier post on this subject, I am for life
in all situations.  Dumbledore should have lived.  Snape should not be
executed, if he did commit murder.  


houyhnhnm:

Again, I'm not saying that Dumbledore's death was for the greater
good.  Once he arrived on the tower, Dumbledore's death was
inevitable.  He was a dead man one way or the other. Snape's action
resulted in fewer people (including Harry) going down with him. 
Whether or not Snape's motives were contaminated by a desire to save
his own skin, there is no way to know at this point.  I'm not sure how
it could be "proven", but if it turns out that Snape hated Dumbledore,
wanted to kill him and save himself, then, yes, Snape is a bad man,
but he still performed the right action in that particular situation
even if it was for wrong reasons.

As far as executing people goes, I don't believe in the death penalty
myself and, apparently, neither does the WW (although they are
remarkably blase about soul-sucking).