Five hours again was Re: Blood

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 149194

> > Pippin:
> > BTW, forensic information isn't hard to find at all -- a
> > google  on blood wipe hair produced this site: 
> > 
> > http://www.aaronelkins.com/forensictidbits.htm
> > 
> 
> Neri:
> I'm forcefully reminded here of certain prominent listies trying to
> convince me that the several hours it took Snape to notify the Order
> about Harry's disappearance in OotP are most probably a flint. At one
> point I mentioned that JKR wouldn't need an almanac to find when does
> the sun rise and set, since this information can be found very easily
> by Googling "Edinburgh", "sunset" and "sunrise". It was Pippin who
> informed me that JKR wouldn't be internet-savvy enough to know that
> <g>. It seems that the criteria for what can be a flint are pretty
> flexible, depending on whether this flint would help Snape's case or not.

Pippin:
Or hurt it? I suppose I deserved that. <g> But since when did the
internet become the only way to get information? There are reference
books and libraries and Asking Someone Who Would Know. Besides
which, JKR has clearly become more internet savvy in the last couple
years.


 But actually my new theory can account for the missing hours. I'll call it 
HP!Snape, for Highest Priority.

Suppose Dumbledore is sure that Harry will need Snape at the final 
showdown. What for? Because when Voldemort is cornered, he scarpers, 
as we saw in the MoM, and AFAWK only someone with a Dark Mark can find
him. 

If Snape's help will be needed for the final showdown, it becomes 
necessary that Snape survive that long. Dumbledore would therefore 
order Snape to do whatever was necessary to preserve his cover until
that time, even if it meant letting other Order members fight alone, 
unless Harry was in immediate danger from Voldemort. Dumbledore
would explain that he believed that only Harry would have the power
to defeat Voldemort, and Snape would have agreed at first
because of the prophecy, and  later because of the unique abilities
he himself witnessed.

The explanation for the missing hours, then, is that Snape followed
Dumbledore's orders and didn't inform the Order that Harry might
have gone to the MoM until he'd convinced himself the situation 
was dire enough to break cover for. If there was another spy in the
Order, that spy then knew whose side Snape was really on. But
would Voldemort trust the other spy? Not necessarily. He'd 
try to arrange a test.


Snape would fear, after unmistakably intervening on Harry's 
side by informing the Order, that Voldemort would test him.
He couldn't afford to do anything that even hinted of disloyalty
to LV.  He took the vow, not expecting the third provision. 

After the attempt on Dumbledore's life that nearly killed Ron,
Snape tried to back out of his agreement with Dumbledore,
saying that maybe he didn't want to do it any more. But 
Dumbledore refused to release him.

Pippin