Nice vs. Good, honesty, and Snape/

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 153006

> Leslie41:
> 
> You are forgetting the intricacies of the situation here, Alla.  
The 
> legal intricacies, especially, and pretending as if Snape is 
himself 
> the executioner, and that Snape himself has ultimate power to kill 
> Black or spare him.
> 
> Remember that even HARRY and DUMBLEDORE don't have that power.  
> 
> Firstly, I think it speaks well of Harry that he hears Black out, 
> but Lupin (a teacher he loves and trusts) is also on Black's side, 
> persuading him.  And (a fact you keep ignoring) Snape has just 
heard 
> Black say that he still hates Snape and thinks the prank against 
him 
> was deserved.  
> 
> You're analyzing the situation on the basis of what *you* know 
about 
> Black--that he's innocent.  You're not trying to think about what 
> Snape should think based on what he experiences.  It's very 
> convenient for you to say that Snape should listen.  You know 
Black 
> is innocent. 
> 
> And what might Snape do even if Snape listened and believed?  FREE 
> Sirius Black on his own authority?  As has been pointed out, he 
does 
> not *have* that authority.  Even Dumbledore makes no overt attempt 
> to save Black himself, only aids Harry in doing so.  
> 
> Snape does what he's supposed to do.     


Alla:

No, I am not ignoring the fact that Snape heard Black saying "serves 
him right", I just think that since not everything is clear on what 
happened that night, it is also not clear that because of those 
words Snape should send Black to be Dementors' food.

But since you are insisting so much on it, let's examine what ELSE 
Snape may have heard, shall we?

You see, despite the conventional wisdom that Snape enters the stage 
at this moment of the story, we cannot be sure of it, can't we?

"Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The 
bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All five of them stared 
at it" - PoA, p.352

Snape can move without any noise, so it is perfectly reasonable that 
he was standing here for a while and the door opened of its own 
accord as it states, IMO.

So, if Snape was standing here for a while, what else can he hear?

For example he may have heard Sirius claims of Peter's guilt.

He may also have heard Remus' assumption that the secret keepers 
were switched.

That all depends of course on when Snape entered, but I'd say that 
we don't know for sure when he entered the stage. But if he heard 
all of that, um, yes, I'd say he had an obligation to not feed 
Sirius and Lupin to dementors at least.

Let's also not forget that per dear Severus words he loked at the 
map himself and since Remus saw Pettigrew on the map, isn't it 
possible that Snape saw him too?

Should that at least make him a little bit suspicious and I don't 
know, check with Dumbledore first of all? I don't know, bring DD 
with him, maybe.

That is of course if he is concerned with doing the "right" thing.

JMO,

Alla