Dumbledore's Past? - Switching Bodies

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 168917

bboyminn:

> Second, to what end? What was the purpose? Why would 
> Snape and Dumbledore even conceive of such an idea? 
> Dumbledore is not exactly a dunderhead, he is probably 
> the greatest living wizard on earth. I can see no real 
> practical reason for them to switch. The 'Switch' does 
> serve the theory, but how does the theory serve the story?

houyhnhnm:

If it turns out that Snape and Dumbledore had been 
switching identities all along, it would explain 
Dumbledore's statement that Snape "is now no more a 
Death Eater than I am."  It would be an addtional 
reason for Dumbledore to trust Snape (a la Pwyll 
and Arawn).  It would also explain why James Potter 
left his invisibility cloak with Dumbledore when 
Dumbledore doesn't need a cloak to become invisible 
(Snape does, even when he is disguised as Dumbledore).

I'm not completely convinced by professor-mum's theory.  
The part where they switch back in Hogsmeade doesn't 
really make sense to me, but I predict that two or more 
people (at least) will turn out to be not who they appeared 
to be in HBP and I won't be surprised at all if it turns 
out that Snape and Dumbledore were trading places from 
the time Snape returned to the right side.

The practical reason for such a switch is that it would 
enable Dumbledore to obtain information first hand rather 
than second hand. Snape may be an accomplished Occlumens, 
but Dumbledore appears to be by far the superior Legilimens.