HBP. Killing DD

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 181594

Jayne:
> In HBP why does DD plead with Snape when he is about to kill him?.
> 
> I thought from reading DH that this had been planned between them.
> 
> Am I perhaps correct in thinking that he was pleading with Snape to 
> get on with it and not  to spoil their plan by letting someone else
> do it?

zgirnius:
I don't think it was as simple as your last suggestion, for a couple 
of reasons. First, the situation had not reached the point where 
someone else was clearly stepping forward to do it. And second, 
Dumbledore's tone of voice truly frightened Harry, which I think 
reflects genuine fear/concern by Dumbledore, not annoyance that Snape 
is dawdling (which he hardly is, havign just shown up).

Having read DH, we now know that the argument in the Forest, which 
occured many months after Snape agreed to Dumbledore's plan, was 
about several things including Snape's reluctance to go through with 
the plan. "Maybe I don't was to do it anymore" (paraphrase) was about 
killing Dumbledore.

Further, Dumbledore tried to shore up Snape's sense of being trusted 
by him by telling him about the soul bit in Harry, a piece of news 
Snape did not accept all that gracefully either. In fact, we are 
never shown Snape agreeing to pass the message on to Harry. So I 
think Dumbledore was in some doubt what Snape would choose, and also 
may have been asking in part, for Snape to remember and stick with, 
the whole plan - kill him, and then protect the students, and then 
wait for the right time to tell Harry about the soul bit.

The first step was crucial - if Snape failed to kill Dumbledore, he 
might not be alive to do the rest.