Was Snape asleep? (was Re: What Came First: Task or Cabinet?...

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 157809


> Julie:
>  But was Snape asleep, and did Dumbledore really expect him to  be
> asleep? <snip?


> 2. Dumbledore expected Snape to be asleep because he had 
> put some sort of sleeping spell on Snape purposely, perhaps to
> keep Snape from knowing about or protesting the dangerous 
> cave expedition. 


Sydney:

Ooooh, see, this is the one I hold.  To me this is part of the whole,
"UV-- argument in the forest-- Severus, please" plotline.  My theory is:

-- Ring curse.  Snape saves Dumbledore, but, either because of the
'stoppered death' theory (Dumbledore is effectively dead but 'held'
alive by some crazy potion or something), or because of Eggplant's
Horcrux Theory of Genius (the bit of Voldemort's soul glommed onto
D-dore's hand when the ring was destroyed), Snape and Dumbledore both
know that Dumbledore will die in the near future.  This is consistent
with Dumbledore's 'wrapping it up' tone throughout the book.

-- Snape takes the UV, knowing that he is going to be Dumbledore's
executioner anyways(either by stopping whatever treatment he's giving,
or because of the horcrux).  He takes the UV because, by entangling
his fate with Draco's, he hopes to frustrate Voldemort's 'kill Draco'
plan.  

-- Life goes on.

-- As the deadline approaches, Snape starts backpedalling from the
'kill Dumbledore' plan.  He goes to Dumbledore and says, "I don't want
to do it anymore,"  Dumbledore says, "You promised to do it and you'll
do it".  Snape says, "Sod it.  I'm through.  I'm going to break the
UV, drop dead, and you won't have Severus Snape to kick around any
more, old man."  (this is the argument Hagrid overhears, and please
please please that we'll get to see in Pensive-o-vision in Book VII)

-- Dumbledore awaits developments. 

-- D-Day.  Dumbledore wanders down to Snape's office, where Snape is
still saying, "if you think I'm going to kill you, you're crazy.  I'm
going to collar that Malfoy brat right now, and then zzzzzzzzzzzzz..."
Dumbledore puts a mild sleeping spell on him, breakable by anyone
entering the room, so he can have him when he needs him.

-- S**t hits fan.  Dumbledore tells Harry to go wake Snape, but
there's no time.  Fortunately, Flitwick does it.

-- Snape bolts himself up to the Tower like a bat out of hell. 
Situation normal, all f'd up.  He can still just break the Vow but..

-- "Severus... please..." Dumbledore says immediately on Snape
entering the scene.  They both know there's only one option now.

-- Avada Kedavra!

That's my theory.  

-- Sydney