The Pig to be Slaughtered (wrong!)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 173016

Neri wrote:
> 
> > As much as I can make sense of Dumbledore's original plan, Snape
was to be killed by Voldemort and the Elder Wand end with no master. 
> 
Rowena(?) replied:
>   I don't think that's quite right. DD himself says he intended
Snape to have the Elder Wand, and is disapointed it didn't work out
that way, (Kings Cross Station chatper). Personally I find this rather
touching evidence both of DD's trust in Snape, leaving him something
so powerful and perilous, and his concern for him. Maybe he hoped with
the Elder wand Snape might manage to survive the War. (Unsigned post
so I hope I got the atribution correct.)
>
Carol responds:
I've been thinking about this (so disturbed by the horrible
pig-to-the-slaughter idea that I could barely stand to see the books
on the store shelves for millions of children to read). Not only did
the idea fill me with revulsion, it was inconsistent with the
Christian themes of the book and with the Dumbledore we see at King's
Cross, who, unlike Voldie (condemned to spend eternity as a rejected
and horrible fetus) is restored to wholeness, and with DD's and
Harry's moment of silence for Snape. Clearly, DD intended Snape to be
the master of the wand and keep it safe (one part of the plan was to
make sure that neither Draco or a true Death Eater got it), but that
can't be the whole plan. Clearly, he didn't expect Snape to die. The
moment of regret for his fate in King's Cross would have been the most
horrible hypocrisy if that were the case. 

What, then, did Dumbledore want Snape to do? I think he wanted Snape
to disarm him before killing him so he would be not only the master
but the possessor of the wand (which LV at that point would not have
known). He also intended for Snape to be headmaster of Hogwarts to
protect the students as best he could from the Carrows and prevent
them from taking complete control by retaining McGonagall and others
as staff members. (We don't see much of Snape as headmaster, but he
clearly encouraged the re-formation of the DA by reinstituting
Umbridge's decrees, knowing full well what would happen.) Portrait!DD,
who had Snape send a fake Sword of Gryffindor to Gringotts and arrange
for Harry (or, as it happens, Ron) to retrieve it, and Snape does so
with his own brilliant plan. Dumbledore also needs him to tell Harry
about the soul bit, which can only be done when Voldemort is keeping
Nagini close to him. I think, had Snape been master of the wand, DD
would have told him to let Harry disarm him before he told him about
the soul bit. (Just how he would have persuaded Harry that he was DDM
and that Harry must listen to him, I don't know.) But Dumbledore
needed Snape alive to protect Hogwarts as far as he could without
giving himself away (did anyone notice that Slughorn still trusted
him? I guess he didn't believe that Snape had killed DD) and to tell
Harry about the soul bit at the end so he could sacrifice himself, as
Snape thought, for the greater good.

So "poor Severus" was intended to survive," but "that bit didn't work
out," to Dumbledore's regret. Dumbledore may be flawed, but he's
clearly depicted as good in "King's Cross" and JKR is sending a
Christian message, trumpeted by the implications of that chapter
title. It would be both malicious and hypocritical if that benevolent
Dumbledore (incontrast to the flawed and manipulative living DD who
nevertheless did all he could to insure Harry's resurrection) were a
ruthless murderer by proxy who set up his most loyal lieutenant as a
pig to the slaughter.

What a horrible message that would send to millions of children, and
how disgusting it would have been for Christ figure!Harry to name his
son after such a cold-hearted manipulator. (Better to name his son
Severus Dobby!). 

Carol, noting that the whole point of the Hallows is to provide
additional protection for Harry beyond the shared drop of blood so
that the soul bit can be destroyed without killing Harry and Voldemort
can truly die through Harry's sacrificial act of love once the last
Horcrux has been destroyed

Carol,