Dumbledore's trust in Snape (was re: Connections...again)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 158304

Snow wrote:

(1) Harry's first true introduction to Fawkes was hearing his arrival 
by way of phoenix song in the Chamber immediately after saying "He's 
not as gone as you might think!" {COS pg. 315}

Dumbledore confides to Harry that only true loyalty to him could have 
caused such a reaction from the phoenix.  This is when and how the 
connection may have been created between the three of them. 

Julie:
Sorry to take this off on a total tangent, but the comment above
about true loyalty gave me a thought. We're still wondering what
it is that makes Dumbledore trust Snape "completely." What if it 
is nothing more complicated than the fact that Snape elicited a
similar reaction from Fawkes? If Fawkes is some sort of litmus
test for true loyalty to Dumbledore, and Snape passed that test,
then Dumbledore's trust in Snape is simply and elegantly explained!
(And it isn't even necessary for Dumbledore to divine if Snape is
telling the truth, genuinely contrite over James and Lily's deaths,
etc. Fawkes says Snape is loyal, thus it is so.)
 
I do find one small flaw in this theory, and that is Dumbledore's
hesitation in revealing his true reason for trusting Snape (to Harry
in HBP). If the reason is this straightforward, why would Dumbledore 
not just tell Harry so? 
 
Still, I think Fawkes will play some part in revealing Snape's true
loyalties in the end. Which will be to Dumbledore, of course ;-)
 
Julie, who apologizes if someone else has already suggested this
theory
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