[HPforGrownups] Re: The first paragraph of book 7

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 171877

From: Goddlefrood <gav_fiji at yahoo.com>
>If he is to turn out to be good 
>then I for one would want an extraordinarily brilliant explanation 
>for it. I've read this and other lists for some time and have yet 
>to come across an anywhere near adequate reason why Dumbledore 
>was killed. The old wizard has to be got out of the way is about 
>as far as JKR has gone so far.
>
>Before I'm accused of being a Snape hater I would add that I do 
>think, and have said many times, that Snape will assist Harry.

Bart:
First of all, you know quite well that just because they're against Voldemort doesn't make someone good. For example, I am one of what I believe to be a host of fans who dislike Dung Fletcher quite a bit, who was willing to expose Harry to mortal danger to make a quick illegal profit, and, after Harry not only forgave him but helped him hide some of his slimy doings, thanks Harry by stealing from him. So, even if Snape is against Voldemort, it does not make him a good person.

Now, I'm going to give you a scenario. Please say what Snape SHOULD have done, or why the scneario is invalid:

Dumbledore was already dying, from whatever gave him the withered arm, or the potion in the cave, or both. He has already gotten Snape to promise that, if the circumstances are right, to kill him. Note that Snape gets all the DE's away from Hogwarts without further damage to anybody else, and has firmed up his position on the side of the DE's. What SHOULD Snape have done, or what is wrong with the above scenario? Support:

In terms of canon support, we have the argument between Snape and DD overheard by Hagrid, where Snape does not want to do something that Dumbledore is insisting upon, we have the spreading death on DD's wand arm, and we have DD's comment implying that the poison in the cave would kill, slowly)?

In terms of literary support, the fact that JKR specifically does NOT reveal DD's reasons for COMPLETELY trusting Snape (emphasis mine, note that, just before leaving for the cave, DD at least appears to be on the verge of revealing it to Harry, and then stops) implies that letting the readers know would give away something to the readers. Given that, 

Bart