Snape's Messenger Patronus ((was Re: Snape's Dementor lesson

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 182643

 
> Carol:
> There is, however, canon to show that Phineas Nigellus can leave DD's
> office and go to his portrait in 12 GP and he does so in OoP itself.
> And there's canon in both HBP (quotes on request) and DH (quotes not
> necessary, I hope!) to show that Phineas Nigellus is, so to speak, a
> Snape fan and would happily run errands for him. But I don't think
> that's what DD is referring to since the Order in general don't seem
> to use that method.

Pippin:
Dumbledore uses the portrait  to communicate with Sirius in OOP, to tell him that
he's about to have unexpected company.  It's clearly something that happens
often: "I've got another message," says Dumbledore.

 I see no reason therefore that Snape, not wishing to use his patronus to 
communicate with GP, wouldn't be able to use the portrait, or why Dumbledore 
couldn't have had that in mind: "more reliable methods of communicating"
definitely implies there is more than one. Clearly JKR wanted to plant a hint
that Snape's patronus would be important, but one need not assume that
Dumbledore did too.

I am curious about why Snape thought it was  important for Sirius to stay
behind, given that the update for Dumbledore could have been left with a 
portrait or  a patronus.  But my guess is that Snape thought the message 
would be in safer hands if it was entrusted to a human rather than to a 
magical  servant. If so, he was quite right.


Pippin