The Isolated Headmaster: Implications for Snape and Harry

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 163666

> > Pippin:
 
> > If Snape appeared to abandon an active Voldemort, then he would 
> > be out of the fight, so the only way to keep Snape in it would be 
> > to have him appear to abandon Dumbledore. 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> So, are you saying that Dumbledore planned and anticipated the 
> events on the Tower since GH?

Pippin:

No one is allowed to retire or defect from the Death Eaters. Therefore
Voldemort can only transfer Snape or allow him to die 'in the cold'.

If Dumbledore thinks he might not want to keep Snape at Hogwarts
till Snape dies, or would prefer to decide for himself when Snape
should leave rather than reacting to Voldemort's whims, 
then staging a betrayal or exposure of the spy is the most 
obvious means.
  
Dumbledore can thus anticipate the need to make Snape's defection
credible long before he has any idea of the tactics he'll use to
bring it about. 


> 
> Alla:
> 
> Oh, I don't know whether Dumbledore has this power or not, but in my 
> view he should have tried and tried much much earlier than 
> Occlumency lessons. Like say stepping in and fast after Harry and 
> Snape first lesson. What could he do? Oh, maybe did what Ceridwen 
> suggested ( the way I read her at least) - give Snape more 
> information about Harry, about his home life. It is quite possible 
> that Snape could have cared less that Harry had such a hard life , 
> BUT if there was a small chance that Snape could have a tiny bit of 
> pity for Harry, for what he endured, DD IMO should have capitalised 
> on that.
> 

Pippin:
Oh dear. Such grand hopes. No wonder you're disappointed in 
Dumbledore.  But if Snape is not a sociopath then he already feels 
pity for Harry. It just isn't as important to him as as other things.

If Snape *is* a sociopath then he won't feel any pity no matter how
much he learns. 

Snape's problem isn't ruthlessness, it's aggression, IMO. He's
developed a talent for petty cruelty and a habit of being unfair,
but his cruelty and unfairness are, sad to say, well within the
norms of wizard behavior. If Harry had come to Hogwarts as a
House Elf instead of a privileged member of the wizarding 
overclass, he'd have learned that a long time ago.  

What's not normal is Snape's animus towards Harry. The cause of 
that is, as we all know, buried in Snape's past. But in Rowling's 
world anger and fear always have a source -- they don't 
magically appear when a character dons a black robe and 
decides to be a villain.

IMO, when the sources of his anger and fear are dealt with,  
Snape will be able to let his aggression go. But he probably 
wouldn't have felt the need  while he was tasked with
defending the students against Voldemort. Aggressive instincts 
are also protective ones.

> Alla:
> 
> but you are right there are questions more important than grades.
> 
> Like if Snape is DD!M, for Harry being able to trust him instead of 
> feeling such a rage towards him, it is also a question of the 
> possibility that Harry's hatred of Snape may stop him from tapping 
> into love power, whatever it is going to manifest itself as.
> 

Pippin:
But if Harry has to overcome hatred in order to tap into his
power, then he must be allowed to  hate. Also, if Dumbledore
doesn't allow Harry to hate anyone, then it is Dumbledore controlling
Harry's hatred, not Harry himself, and what will happen when 
Dumbledore isn't around to do it any longer?

Pippin