Snape, Hagrid, and Sirius Black Was: Did DD tell Anyone Else Why He Trusts Snape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 148256

Sherry wrote: 
> <snip>  First of all, I have a suspicion that Hagrid might know why
Dumbledore thought he could trust Snape.  More than anyone but DD,
Hagrid has always defended Snape to Harry, but never explained it.
> 
> Secondly, since Chapter 2 of HBP, can we really say Harry is skewing
the truth completely about Snape's role in the death of Sirius?  He
may be wrong about the how, but I am not convinced that he is wrong. 
After all, Snape does take credit for somehow contributing to the
death of Sirius.  If it wasn't true, Narcissa and Bella would
certainly have known that, because Kreacher went to Narcissa with his
information.  So, if it was only Kreacher, I'm sure one of the sisters
would have challenged Snape on his claim.

Carol responds:
First, I'm sure you're right that Hagrid knows at least part of the
reason why DD trusted Snape (I won't say "thought he could trust"
because I suspect that DD was right to trust him) and I hope to hear
from Hagrid and possibly Aberforth (or even Phineas Nigellus) in that
regard. Someone has to be able to provide the reader and Harry with
that information, and you're right that Hagrid, alone of the Order
members and Hogwarts teachers, steadfastly defended Snape until it
*seemed* to be impossible to do so.

As for what Snape could have revealed to LV about Sirius Black, Black
himself points out that Wormtail would have revealed to LV that he
(Black) was an Animagus. (No doubt he also revealed that Lupin was a
werewolf if he had not already done so.) We know that Kreacher
revealed the bond between Black and Harry. And we know that Snape
could not reveal the location of Order Headquarters. What could he
have revealed that would have helped to develop LV's trust in him (or
what passes for LV's trust) without betraying Dumbledore and the
Order? I think he revealed when he returned to LV after the events in
the graveyard that Black had returned to England and was working with
Dumbledore. That, combined with Wormtail's previous revelation, would
have been sufficient for Lucius Malfoy to figure out the identity of
the big black dog (which acted a little too human) on Platform 9 3/4.
Malfoy passed on this tidbit to Snape, who passed it on (rather smugly
and sarcastically) to Black. So SB *knows* that "his big disguise is
useless" and that LV (and the Death Eaters) know he's in the Order. He
 knows that his own safety requires him to stay at 12 GP. And Snape
tells him on the night of the Battle at the DoM to remain at 12 GP and
wait for Dumbledore. That he ignores this advice is the result of
Black's desperate need for action combined with his affection for
Harry and is no fault of Snape's despite their mutual antipathy.

So I would say that, yes, Snape can truthfully claim to have provided
some sort of information to LV about Black, but since Snape gives
Bellatrix full credit for the murder of her cousin, she doesn't stop
to ask what the information was or to determine whether it really
contributed to her cousin's death. The fact remains that if Black had
remained in 12 GP he would still be alive because Snape could not
reveal his whereabouts, regardless of anything else that LV knew about
him from Snape or Wormtail or Kreacher. IOW, he could even reveal to
LV (under cover of his animus against Black) that Black was staying at
Order HQ without any harm to Black, who was protected from detection
by the Fidelius Charm as long as he remained there. It was his own
decision to leave 12 GP and his own bravado in fighting his cousin too
close to the Veil that enabled her to kill him. Had he listened to
Snape (not that he would have done so), he would still be alive.

As for Narcissa not challenging Snape's claim, her mind was on one
thing only, the desperate danger her son was facing. Nothing Snape
said to Bellatrix would have mattered to her. She was already
convinced of Snape's loyalty to LV, and all she wanted from him was
his help in protecting Draco from the terrible consequences of failing
to complete his assigned task. Little things like the information he
had given LV or why he hadn't killed Harry Potter were of no
consequence to her. All that mattered was Draco's plight.

Carol, who thinks that Snape relies on partial truths and suppressed
information to persuade his hearers (not just Bellatrix but Draco, LV,
the DEs, and quite possibly Harry) to draw the conclusions he wishes
them to draw