Green Potion, Regulus, Snape, and DD (was: Dumbledore's Past?)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 168851

Celia: 
> I have my own wacko idea for what happened with the green goo, 
> which I will describe below, but I find I end up with the same 
> issue you state above- how does this apply to the larger story 
> enough that JKR would bother?? But then again, theorizing for the 
> sake of theorizing is its own fun, right?

Jen:  I agree since it's our last chance for the big theories. :) 

> Celia:
> Like many of us, I am just sure that somehow the potion, the cave, 
> the locket, and Regulus are all tied together somehow. I hadn't 
> thought about Reggie being one of the kids, but it seems unlikely
> to me due to his having a family and probably not being a resident
> at Tom's orphanage for any amount of time.

Jen:  Just for the sake of clarity and not because I think the theory 
will happen, the idea was RAB was one of the kids in the cave, Amy 
Benson specifically, and she went on to use a differnt name when 
adopted and realized she was magical (someone Harry knows now).  
Problems abound though, most notably she would need to be a female of 
a certain age and McGonagall would be the most likely for an 'aha' 
moment.  The idea McG. was hiding something from Dumbledore doesn't 
work all that well, for me anyway.

Celia:
> So, let's travel back in time...<swishy music and cross-fade)

Jen:  Have my time-turner, ready to go. :)

Celia:
> Knowing he will likely die, Reggie goes to the cave, drinks the 
> potion, steals the horcrux, and, feeling himself fading, writes the 
> RAB note. BUT, as a last chance he dashes off to the one potions 
> expert in his life- his pal Severus. Snape realizes what has 
> poisoned him and knows he cannot save Reggie from his deadly 
> potion. But, being savvy and self-interested Snape, he realizes he 
> can use Reggie's death to his own advantage. He AKs the 
> dying "traitor" Regulus (we know he was killed by someone, but not 
> LV), thus sealing his reputation as an extremely fanatical and 
> loyal DE (sound familiar?) able to regain LVs trust even in 
> unlikely circumstances. 

Jen:  Man, Snape is getting to use AKs left and right now!  He can't 
save Regulus because it's too late or he hasn't invented an antidote 
yet?  Maybe this incident caused him to consider the need for an 
antidote on the outside chance he, Snape, ever had to drink the green 
goo.  Leading to why Dumbledore knows he can ask for Snape after he 
drinks the potion.  

Celia:
> Internally shaken by what he has to do, the young Snape is now 
> primed to turn spy for DD- he has murdered his friend, and the 
> regret over that action may be a part of DD's trust in him.

Jen:  I suppose Snape could have more than one regret.  Although 
killing his friend, even if dying, seems like it would be a greater 
remorse than discovering LV was targeting the Potters, you know?  
Even if Snape loved Lily she wasn't actually his friend or wife or 
close to him in any way when she is targeted.  A bit of an obsession 
there, maybe. ;)  Or his remorse is for some other reason than Lily.

Celia:
> And, as I said in a previous post, Snape's Unbreakable Vow might
> have helped lead DD to the potion-after all, in my opinion the UV
> is actively working to have Snape kill DD at that point, so it 
> forces Snape's hand with the potion- he kills DD without even 
> meaning to. Plus I like the parallel stories for Snape- first 
> Reggie, then DD, same scenario, same result.

Jen: Oh, the parting of the ways here.  I'd like to think the 
Unbreakable Vow is some type of dark magic that forces the hand of 
the vowee since those ropes of fire are a wonderful imagery for the 
idea.  When it comes down to it though, I have to think the choice 
theme wins out and Snape is bound only by dying if he breaks the 
Vow.  

Celia:
> As I said before, this concept owes a lot to other posters, 
> particularly Pippin and Carol and many who I cannot name- bad me. 
> And it makes me happy to think about. However, it has That Problem

> does this move the main plot forward enough to be viable? Or, more 
> likely, is this just part of my wish fulfillment for a 7,000 page 
> novel entitled "The Marauder Years: All the Backstory You Ever 
> Wanted."

Jen:  I want that book!  The theory moves the story along in the 
sense a tie between Snape and Regulus might provide something info 
Harry doesn't know yet about the real locket.  There's an event 
foreshadowing (or foreshadowing in backstory?!) the tower. It may 
also explain how/why Snape invented an antidote and that's what 
caused Dumbledore to think he can drink the potion and still live if 
he makes it back to Severus in time.

Celia:
> The question I have about this theory then is
 based on what he 
> says as he drinks the potion, I wonder why young Dumbledore blames 
> himself for his parents' deaths? What a sad idea. Hmmm


Jen:  Yeah, that doesn't fit so well, does it?  Unless there's some 
direct tie-in of DD being forced to do something to his own parents.  
Ugh.  

In reading the words again I was struck by the sequence:  At first 
Dumbledore seems to be talking to Harry about the potion, "I don't 
want...don't make me...let me go."  Even "make it stop" could be 
directed at Harry making him drink.  Then there's a transition 
here, "It's all my fault, all my fault...please make it stop, I know 
I did wrong, oh, please make it stop and I'll never, never again..." 
Next the words stop making sense in reference to the potion and 
definitely seem to be referring to a different event in which one 
person is watching other persons being hurt:  "Don't hurt them, don't 
hurt them, please, please it's my fault, hurt me instead..."

Finally the person in question, at least I think this refers to a 
person and an actual event, makes an offer: "...not that, not that, 
I'll do anything...."  and then last is "KILL ME" and maybe there is 
a killing.

I'm not sure this works for me as Snape's internal dialogue after 
all.  It's the part about 'not that, not that, I'll do anything' 
because that reads like an actual offer to me.  A person wouldn't say 
that inside his head unless praying and prayer to some higher being 
isn't part of Potterverse.  It doesn't work for it to be Lily's 
memory, another thought I had, because James is already dead so 
there's no 'them' for, 'don't hurt them'.  I'm pretty sure it's an 
event we don't know about yet, making me think again it's one of DD's 
own memories.  

Jen