Dumbledore's pleading

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 141474

Jen wrote:
<snip>
-> Here's a symbolic thought for the argument, though: On the lightning-
> struck tower card, two figures are falling off the tower. The card 
> doesn't represent literal death, but for plot purposes one figure 
> was Dumbledore and one symbolized Snape's fall from grace in the 
> physical world (i.e. he's lost everything material, including 
> other's belief in him). Both figures are required to fall for the 
> Seeker to know the Truth; The violent crumbling of the tower clears 
> the way for the Seeker to move forward.
> 
> Carol made the very interesting point in post #141420 
> that "Dumbledore's big mistake, in my view, was in flying to the 
> tower, right into the DE's trap, instead of sending Harry for Snape 
> as he originally intended." 
> 
> I believe this was not a mistake, and in fact, supports the idea 
> Dumbledore very much understood his own sacrifice might be required. 
> He went to the one place he *knew* he would be found, and in fact, 
> his order for Harry to leave him and find Snape was not intended so 
> Snape could bring him an antidote or help fight the DE's, but to get 
> Harry out of the way when the DE's and Darco ascended the tower. If 
> Dumbledore had his way, I suspect neither Snape nor Harry would have 
> been on the tower that night at the moment of his death, but fate 
> required both to be present in a metaphorical sense.
>
Carol responds:
I like this a lot, actually, both your tower interpretation and your
argument that flying to the tower isn't a mistake. It fits with what
KJ (I think) said about the argument in the forest: Dumbledore thought
he could make the sacrifice without Snape having to kill him and Snape
thought DD took too much for granted. As I read it, Snape feared,
rightly, that the UV and the DADA curse together would force *him* to
sacrifice Dumbledore and he didn't want to have any more to do with
that idea. But Dumbledore seems to have reminded him of a promise to
obey, very similar to Harry's, however unwilling he was to do so.

I agree completely that Snape knew each other very well, and I like
your idea of a poignant last moment on the tower, but I don't think
that Snape's change of expression (to hatred and revulsion) can be
explained without the Legilimency, whatever the images DD sent. If it
were a last goodbye, he surely would not have worn that expression. If
it's a sacrifice, then I think Dumbledore is telling him that he must
play his part because Dumbledore can't do it alone. Snape raises his
wand only after Dumbledore speaks again and clearly he fills in the
unspoken words as Harry cannot: "Severus, please. You must do this,"
or something to that effect. He, too, may have hoped, even after he
saw the helpless and wandless Dumbledore (so different from the
Dumbledore of the previous year) that he would not have to perform the
sacrifice, but the moment of silent communication (I still think it's
Legilimency) persuaded him against his will. 

Your sacrifice idea also fits with my ideas about Snape's limited
choices (which I know you've read because you cited one of my posts in
that thread, 141420). I won't repeat those ideas here, but if anone
wants the link, it's
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/141420

BTW, did you see my post on the evidence in OoP for Snape and Harry
communicating through Legilimency (Harry willing Snape to see images
in his mind)? It cites zgirnius's ideas and adds to them using the
scene from Umbridge's office in which Harry tries to get Snape to see
his dream of Sirius in the MoM.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/141428

No one has responded to it (maybe it was in the wrong thread, or maybe
it was too long and I put the important stuff too near the end?), but
I think it does at least establish that JKR has already introduced the
concept of communicating via Legilimency before HBP, and again it's
Snape who's receiving the communicated message.

Carol