UV = DDM? (was:Re: OFH! Snape again. WAS: Straightforward readings?

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 140814


> 
> Betsy Hp:
> A minor point of contention here: If Snape is DDM! he's managed to 
> hoodwink Voldemort.  If he's ESE! he's managed to hoodwink 
> Dumbledore.  And if he's OFH! then he's managed to hoodwink both 
> Voldemort and Dumbledore.  So I think his intelligence and 
> brilliance as a spy is pretty much a given no matter what view you 
> hold.  (Don't sell Snape short, now! <bg>)

I would agree with this, whatever else you think about Snape, he is a 
talented man at many things.
 
> Betsy Hp:

> So, Voldemort comes up with his "Lucius will *pay*!" plan and 
shares 
> it with Snape (having learned from his PS/SS adventure that an 
> uninformed Snape is an annoyingly interfering Snape).  Snape, being 
> DDM to the bone, immediately shares Voldemort's plan with 
> Dumbledore.  Dumbledore comes up with a plan of his own.

I have to say that I recently reread Spinners End and I'm becoming 
more open to the interpretation of A DDM!Snape for two reasons. I saw 
a lot of Snape circling around The Plan without saying anything even 
remotely specific about it. It strikes as someone who is trying to 
bluff their way through a plan when they don't really know what's 
going on. I can't imagine that Snape would have even thought about 
Draco assassinating DD. Seems like Voldemort's pride wouldn't allow 
anyone to steal his glory. Same with Harry.  The title of the chapter 
itself also seems to indicate the end of the spinner himself, Severus 
Snape. He finally manages to outsmart himself in his highstakes game.

So while I can buy a DDM Snape (reluctantly) the only way I can see 
it working is if Snape is ignorant of the plan, at least at first, 
and ends up trapped through his own machinations. 
 
> So, Dumbledore tells Snape that he's going to allow Draco a bit of 
a 
> free rein during the school year (the freedom to choose is 
essential 
> to Draco's moral salvation per Dumbledore's personal code).

Don't get me started on how stupid this was as a plan.  Sure, lets 
have an mildly competent assassin running around the school. Great 
idea!

> Being DDM, Snape tells Dumbledore exactly what he Vowed as soon as 
> he gets a chance.  By this time Dumbledore has been injured (I 
> believe fatally) and has already planned for Snape to remain only 
> one more year at Hogwarts.  (Hence his giving Snape the DADA 
> position and his requiring not only a Potions Master but a 
> replacement Slytherin head.)  Dumbledore, aware that he's dying, 
> incorporates the terms of the Vow into his end game plan.  Snape 
> will not only need to be *present* at Dumbledore's death, he must 
> have a hand in it.  Snape's life depends on it.  And Dumbledore's 
> final plan depends on Snape being alive.  

I'm still not convinced that Dumbledore is dying throughout the book. 
He would have done more to prepare people for the aftermath of his 
death. everyone was so awestruck by his demise it was like they had 
never considered that he might not survive, but I cannot imagine that 
he, Albus Dumbledore, master strategist would have left people with 
that impression unless he wasn't actually planning on dying. If it 
was a surprise then the chaos after his death could lead to any 
number of gains by the death eaters, including more recuits who might 
have lost their way after the great hope of the light died.  But McG 
was so surprised by his death she even got advice from *Harry*. Come 
on, a seventy year old woman looking to a teenager? Not unless she 
was floundering which she wouldn't have been if Dumbledore laid out 
his wishes explicity as he would have done if he were actually 
planning on shedding his mortal coil anytime soon.

Dumbledore was good (but not perfect) at the deep game of chess and 
he might have laid out any number of plans with Snape but I don't 
think any of them would have ever involved the willing sacrifice of 
his own life. 

Death might be the next great adventure but I don't think that DD was 
quite finished with this one.

phoenixgod2000