VA/H=Mx13+RP? (was: Was the eavesdropper unimportant to Harry?)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 147134

Jen: 
> > It paints a picture of Snape as awfully naive not to wonder for a
> > moment what Voldemort would do with the information. Naive or
> > worse, unconcerned. I'm all for the possibility that the Snape
> > Harry knows is not the Snape who joined the DE's, became bitter
> > and battle-scarred, and possibly permanently altered himself 
> > practicing Occlumency so much. Still, naivete as a young man 
> > doesn't strike me as being in-character. Unconcern does, though.
 
> zgirnius:
> I'm not clear what you mean by 'unconcern'. It could be unconcern,
> as in 'so Voldemort will go kill some baby or babies...so what?'
> Or, unconcern as in simply not bothering to work out the
> consequences for anyone other than himself (the Dark Lord may be
> pleased I brought him a prophecy only Dumbledore knows). The
> second seems to me more consistent with great remorse on learning 
> how the Dark Lord had interpreted the prophecy (in other words, if 
> he's hit over the head with the consequences to others, he does
> care).

JenR: I originally meant your first example: Snape was aware a baby 
would be involved and essentially handed him/her over to Voldemort 
on a silver platter. After reading Brady's post more closely and 
Steve's recent post, the ambiguity of the prophecy wording makes me 
wonder if your second thought isn't closer to the truth. But it IS 
still hard for me to think "born to those who have thrice defied 
him, born as the seventh month dies" isn't a dead giveaway there's a 
baby involved.

As for Snape's remorse though, I'm tired of hearing about Snape from 
Dumbledore. When he explained to Harry about Snape's 'mistake' and 
his 'deep remorse', I could imagine Snape telling Harry the story 
and how he might present his actions. I'm not sure his feelings of 
deep remorse would come through in the retelling. It may be 
completely accurate Snape was horrified to discover how Voldemort 
intepreted the prophecy, but Harry has reached the end of his rope 
for trusting Snape just because Dumbledore does. 

JKR promised some fallout in book 7 due to an emotional mistake by 
Dumbledore. My first choice for the mistake is Dumbledore not 
recognizing Harry won't respect & trust Snape simply because 
Dumbledore insists on "Professor Snape" and because Dumbledore 
trusts him. Words on behalf of someone else fall flat when actions 
don't add up. Or when right actions are so submerged under resentful 
and hateful words they appear ambiguous. 

Jen