CHAPDISC: DH1, The Dark Lord Ascending

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 176257

aussie wrote: 
<snip>
> 
> aussie: Dumbledore never fully trusted Snape. DD never spoke of 
Horcruxes or Hallows with Severus. He could have been lying. Charity 
worked with Snape for up to 17 years. As DD said of Snape, "You
disgust me." <snip>

Carol responds:

The words "You disgust me" are spoken at a specific moment in relation
to a specific incident. The words "I trust Severus Snape completely"
are spoken sixteen years later, repeatedly, under very different
circumstances, after Snape has earned the trust that he did not have
when DD spoke those words to a young Death Eater who cared for nothing
except his fears for Lily.

Dumbledore explains why he cannot provide Snape with complete
information, and he states directly, "It is not a question of trust"
(DH Am. ed. 684). It has to do with Snape's closeness to the Dark Lord
and the danger of letting that information slip. The parallels with
Harry is extremely clear; he, too, is provided only the information he
needed at any particular time. The last, most crucial message, is
supplied by Snape. "Come to my office tonight, and you shall not
complain that I have no confidence in you" (DH Am. ed. 685).

Dumbledore thought well enough of young Snape, who had spied for him
"at great personal risk," to testify in his favor before the
Wizengamot and to repeat, at Karkaroff's hearing, that Snape "is now
no more a Death Eater than I am."

DD not only gave Snape a teaching position and made him Head of
Slytherin House at the age of 21 or so, he trusted him to watch over
Harry for seven years (maybe more--it's not clear whether Harry was
being watched before he went to Hogwarts) and over the students of
Hogwarts after DD's death. In Harry's sixth year, he gave him the
cursed DADA position, knowing that he would teach the students what
they needed to know. He assigned him the crucial tasks of getting the
Sword of Gryffindor to Harry and giving Harry the message that he must
sacrifice himself. He trusted Snape, and only Snape, to kill him.

It's a long way from "You disgust me" to "I am fortunate, extremely
fortunate, that I have you, Severus" (681), but Snape has proven his
courage, his loyalty, and his consummate skills as Occlumens, Healer,
and spy.

We see no one except Harry and Snape holding conversations with
Portrait!DD after DD's death, and Snape is the only adult who actively
aids Harry in his quest on DD's orders. Snape may not know everything,
but neither does Harry. They both know more than anyone else, and from
the secretive Dumbledore, that's a significant show of trust.

Carol, realizing that the verb tenses in this post are messed up but
unable to correct the errors because she's trying to prevent a too
curious someone from seeing the spoilers!