Understanding Snape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 153898

Carol earlier:
> > Snape must have done at least two other things in order to know
that Harry had gone into the forest and for Dumbledore to know what
Snape knew. First, he must have gone to Umbridge's office after Ron,
Hermione, Neville, and Luna had left, sorted out the various hexes,
and questioned the Slytherins about what had happened.
> 
Neri responded:
> The Slytherins couldn't tell him that Harry was in the forest even
after they were questioned because they didn't know. Umbridge herself
didn't know, when she left her office, that Hermione is heading for
the forest. Ron & Co knew because they saw Harry, Hermione and
Umbridge heading for the forest through the office window, as Ron
tells Harry when they meet again. So how did Snape know that he had to
search the forest? Probably because he did the most natural thing for
Snape to do – he stalked Harry and Umbridge when they left Umbridge's
office. <snip>

Carol responds:
You're inventing here. Where is the canonical evidence that he
"stalked" anyone? He left the office when Umbridge put him on
probation, and, according to Dumbledore, immediately contacted 12 GP
to make sure that Sirius Black was there. He could only have done so
from his own office.

If Ron and friends saw Harry, Hermione and Umbridge out the window of
Umbridge's office, as we know they did, then Draco et al. would have
seen them, too. I'm guessing that the sight of the three of them
entering the forest was the diversion that allowed Ron and the others
to grab their wands from their captors and escape (they were, after
all, gagged and held firmly, yet they somehow managed to cast two
Stunning spells, an Expelliarmus, an Impedimenta and a Bat Bogey hex.

Certainly Ron and co. did not tell Snape about Harry, Hermione, and
Umbridge going into the forest. Only Draco and his friends could have
told him. No one else knew, and Snape, being Snape, would have
interrogated them when he rescued and unhexed them. I don't see any
other way in which he could have found out where Harry went. He
certainly didn't intuit it.
> 
Carol earlier:
> >Second, he must have contacted Dumbledore at least once (also
necessary in order for him to know, and inform Sirius Black, that
Dumbledore was coming. (He tells Black to wait for DD, which he could
not have known if he hadn't first communicated with DD.)
> > 
> 
> Neri:
> Dumbledore never tells us or even just suggests that Snape contacted
him that evening. It's simply not in canon. <snip>
> 
> Snape knowing that Dumbledore was due in 12GP could be because this
> was scheduled the day before, or because Snape's second call was
> through Umbridge's fire (much more convenient than a patronus since
> Snape knew she's not in the castle) and the Order members simply
told him that Dumbledore was due in 12GP.
>
Carol responds:
Why would Dumbledore schedule a visit to 12 GP and why would he tell
Snape about it if he had? Snape tells Sirius Black to wait for
Dumbledore, not the other way around. He informs *them* that DD is
coming. Quite possibly the Order members were present in 12 GP the
second time because of Snape's first contact--just in case they were
needed.

Moreover, Dumbledore tells Harry what Snape has done (contacting HQ
twice, going into the forest). *How would DD know that if he hadn't
talked to Snape?* He (DD) goes to 12 GP to talk to Black, presumably
knowing that Snape has sent the other Order members to the MoM and
expecting them to keep Harry safe for fifteen minutes or so, and
instead talks to Kreacher, who unwillingly informs him about the
contact with the Malfoys and what he knows of the Dark Lord's plans.
(I agree that it isn't really logical to go to 12 GP first, but it's
necessary to JKR's plot that DD talk to Kreacher.) Then DD contacts
the Aurors and Fudge (who show up a bit late) before going to the MoM
himself, rounds up the DEs and battles Voldemort, sends Harry back to
Hogwarts, gives Fudge half an hour of his time, and returns to
Hogwarts to talk to Harry. There is no time there for him to find out
what Snape had done. *Snape must have talked to DD directly, whether
by Patronus or by fireplace, before DD went to 12 GP.*

DD doesn't need to tell Harry that he talked to Snape. Harry would
take for granted that he must have done so or he would not know what
Snape did. The last thing Harry cares about at this point is details
of the communication between Snape and DD. He needs to know what
happened--and what Snape did to make sure that he and his friends were
saved. Too bad Harry is determined not to hear it.

Carol, noting that these events would fill in the supposed gaps in
Snape's timeframe nicely, that they are consistent with canon, and
that they are entirely in character for Snape