Snape using legilimency on Harry on DD orders?WAS: Re: Digest Number 6862

[j. lutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 147830

Sherry:

>If it turned out to be that Snape by his own choice or by Dumbledore's
>orders was deliberately bating Harry in order to perform legilimency on him,
>I would consider that such a serious breach of conduct, and even deserving
>of a prison sentence.  right now, in the US, everyone is up in arms over the
>government's right to monitor suspected terrorist connections by tapping
>phone lines or other communications without a warrant.  No matter how anyone
>feels about that, I can't help comparing it to anyone being able to and even
>allowed to or ordered to read another person's thoughts without permission.
>If they can perform legilimency and do it accidentally, that's one thing,
>but to purposely anger a child to be able to have access to his thoughts is
>despicable.  I would lay that term at Dumbledore's door as well, if he was
>the one to ask Snape to do it.  in fact, i would lay the blame pretty much
>exclusively on Dumbledore for instructing his staff person to violate
>someone's privacy in that way.  OOOOO.  It just gives me the creeps.
>  
>

Have you read Pharnabazus' "Expecto Patronus" series of essays 
(http://pharnabazus.livejournal.com/715.html#cutid1)?  They start from 
the premise that since the 1692 Act of Seclusion the Wizarding World has 
lived in a steady "state of emergency," and its citizenry largely takes 
for granted governmental practices that strike you, me, and most of the 
people on this e-mail list as an intolerable infringement on civil 
liberties.  I believe Rowling in interviews has hinted that the WW is a 
nastier place than some of her readers seem to think.

In the meantime, I expect that in Book 7, if Harry asks the right 
questions it will be revealed that Dumbledore consciously manipulated 
Harry's upbringing (and possibly Neville's) with the goal of producing a 
wizard capable of defeating Voldemort.  And this theory of mine includes 
Snape being permitted (or even encouraged) to harass Harry and Neville, 
so that when the final battle comes they will have the hate in their 
hearts necessary to cast the Unforgiveable Curses effectively.

-- j.lunatic