Defense of Snape in POA. Was:Re: Snape, Apologies, and Redemption

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 152619

> 
> Lanval:
> 
> Only this: if Harry, a thirteen year old child, can muster enough 
> control over his emotions to allow the man he believes responsible 
> for his parents' death to speak, and tell his side of the story, 
> then so can Snape. But no, it was revenge and Order of Merlin all 
> the way. 
> 
> And to correct one thing: Sirius was never a *convicted murderer*. 
> That would have required a trial. 

Pippin:
Harry did not "allow" Sirius to speak. Lupin, who was armed, 
insisted on the whole story being told over the objections of both Ron
and Sirius himself. Harry was willing to listen once Lupin returned his
wand, but he wondered whether it was a trick. Of course he didn't
know about non-verbal spells or legilimency -- he hadn't even mastered
the shield charm or learned to resist the Imperius curse. If Lupin and
Sirius had had the skills of  Death Eater hit wizards, Harry's wand wouldn't 
have been much use. 

Sirius was indeed convicted. He was sentenced to Azkaban by Crouch's
tribunal, admittedly without a trial,  and later sentenced to the dementor's 
kiss, also without a trial. Snape had no authority to put aside those 
decisions. Dumbledore, who was apparently head of the Wizengamot
at the time of PoA,  said there was no way to convince anyone without
Peter, alive or dead. Dumbledore believed Sirius -- but he is a far
greater legilimens than Snape, who could not break through even Draco's
defenses. 

 Dumbledore never tells Snape that he believes Black's story -- he
only insists that he needs to speak to Harry and Hermione alone. 

Snape does not know the upshot of that conversation, and so  he does not
know that  Dumbledore has approved of Harry helping Black
to escape. Dumbledore is obviously not in a position to say so in front
of Fudge. But he hints very strongly, "Unless you are suggesting that
Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid
I don't see any point in troubling them further." 

Since Snape's classes were some of the ones that Hermione was doubling,
and since even the boys noticed that she didn't always manage to synch
her appearances and disappearances, it would be out of character for
Snape not to have noticed, even if he hadn't actually been told that Miss
Granger had been issued a time turner. It was also no secret that Hermione
had signed up for everything, and Snape as a  Head of House should
know how that was arranged.

And what does Snape do? He shuts up and walks away.

Pippin