The Isolated Headmaster: Implications for Snape and Harry

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 163574

Quick_Silver:
> Its interesting Ceridwen on your view of why Dumbledore is 
secretive because I've never really considered Dumbledore's being the 
leader of the Order as the reason for him being so secretive. The 
Dumbledore that I have in my head is secretive and has no confidante 
but that's really part of his character rather then a habit forced on 
him by the necessity of war and managing the Order. It just strikes 
me as being more in his arch type range
old, powerful, and naturally 
secretive (plus the fact that most of the talented wizards in JKR 
world seem secretive
Tom Riddle, Snape, the Marauders, the Twins). 

Ceridwen:
I think, since I snipped that part, that I mentioned that a natural 
inclination would be a part of Dumbledore's more deliberate secrecy.  
I think Lupinlore showed a very isolated Dumbledore who does not 
naturally give away his secrets.  I think that other events, like the 
spy in the Order during VWI, have merely strengthened the inclination.

Quick_Silver:
> But when you refer to Snape being misinformed do you mean the 
Dumbledore deliberately mislead him or simply a Snape that drawn the 
wrong conclusions. I can't see the benefit of deliberately misleading 
Snape (Snape's so good at doing that to himself) but I think that a 
Snape whose drawn the wrong conclusion is an inevitable thing (since 
Dumbledore's plan involves Harry).

Ceridwen:
I can't answer for Lupinlore, but I responded to him thinking that he 
didn't mean a deliberate misleading, only a misleading by omission.  
Snape does draw his own conclusions on this, I think, or he disagrees 
with what he is seeing play out.

Quick_Silver:
> But isn't that what he did? He gave all of his information on 
Horcruxs to Harry, along with the knowledge of Tom Riddle, before he 
went to the cave. 

I see your point but if Dumbledore left behind too many instructions 
that could almost be worse. The last thing the Order needs to be 
doing is blindly following the orders of a dead man when Voldemort 
unleashes his plan in DH (I wonder if the real reason Snape is among 
the Death Eaters has nothing to do with the Horcruxs but with 
containing the damage of Voldemort's, hopefully, final push?).

Ceridwen:
I didn't mean instructions, I meant things he knew, information about 
things in the works, the various threads which would make up the 
operations of an order like the OotP.  I would like to think that 
giving Harry the information about Tom Riddle and the Horcruxes was 
part of a larger hand-picked "council" if you would give it a name, 
or "inner circle" of people who have other similar information.  
Lupin knowing what Dumbledore knew about the Werewolves, nothing held 
back, for instance, or perhaps Moody knowing who the spies are and 
how they are to be contacted and when, and how, their information 
might come.  Arthur could be eyes and ears at the Ministry, as could 
Percy if he is still DDM: Moody would know this and would collect and 
collate that information and work plans based on it.

And Snape would know who he is to contact.  If Dumbledore left such a 
network in place and gave the necessary information to each 
individual for his or her area, then there would be one person who 
would know about Snape's role, if any, in the continuing Order.

This is compartmentalization, where every piece of information is 
shared, but none are shared fully with the others.  They would only 
know what they need to know to carry out their tasks.  With 
Dumbledore dead, a new leader would need to get input from these 
people in order to keep his or her hands on all the threads.  Since 
the information is ongoing and would change, then this wouldn't have 
to do with a master plan, only with continuing the mission of the 
Order.

Hope that helps!  Sorry if I'm not too clear, it's late.

Ceridwen.