Mourning Snape's life - Objective Truth

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 183126


> >
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> Consider what it appeared that Snape had done in killing 
> Dumbledore. How could anyone, especially Harry, ever be made
> to believe Snape when he told Harry what he had to do? Yet,
> that was exactly what Snape's instructions from Dumbledore
> were. To tell Harry the whole truth in the final hours of
> the inevitable battle. But again, how could Harry be made to
> accept that truth as reality.
> 
> The only way was a death bed confession or dying declaration. 
D> Snape would have nothing to gain at the moment of death from 
> lies. Also, we know the Penseive doesn't lie. Memories can be
> altered or blocked out, but they can never be lies; they are 
> fully objective.
> 
Julie:
That's a problem though. If the only way for Harry to believe
Snape is a deathbed confession or a dying declaration, then there
is a plot problem, unless Snape is *expecting* to die (or unless
*Dumbledore* is expecting Snape to die--which I wouldn't put 
past him BTW). And even if one or both of them has that expectation,
it's still pretty chancy to depend on Voldemort to play along
unwittingly and at the appropriate time (and Harry too...).

Steve again:
> I wondered about this as we were pondering what might happen
> in the final book, and, as far as I was concerned, one of the
> greatest mysteries was how Snape would bring Harry around to
> his way of thinking. I couldn't imagine how that could 
> possibly happen with the animosity between them so great. 
> 
> But, JKR found a way that satisfied everything. She found away
> for Snape to give Harry clear objective truth in a way that 
> Harry would never question. 

Julie:
JKR found a way, that's true, but I think she essentially wrote
it backwards, with her knowledge of Snape's ultimate fate giving
her the way to pass on the information to Harry. Problem is, it
isn't really very satisfying plotwise, as the right circumstances--
Voldemort killing Snape *while* Harry was secretly present and
thus able to retrieve those memories just before Snape's final
breath--happened only by chance. And as far was we know, Snape
and Dumbledore had NO real plan on how to get those memories to
Harry, at least none that they ever spoke of. Maybe they just
relied on Harry's incredible good luck in all things Voldemort
related and figured the right opportunity would present itself
at the right time. Incredibly chancy, that. And not very good
plotting, IMO. 

So, I do think it was essentially the easy way out, and would
still have been even if Snape and/or Dumbledore had planned 
Snape's death with deliberation. After all, it's always easier
to forgive the dead and sugarcoat their faults. It's much 
harder (and a potentially more character-growing experience)
to forgive face-to-face and adjust one's hardened emotions and 
perspective to incorporate new information.

Steve:
> So, I ask, if not this way, then in what way?

Julie:
You mentioned the Pensieve and of course Snape doesn't have
to be dead for Harry to see those memories. It would still 
be harder for Harry to believe a living, snarky Snape than
a dead Snape, and harder for Snape to give Harry some of 
those very personal memories, but harder is usually better
when it comes to fiction. And more interesting.

I'm sure there would have been other ways too, that involved
a greater change to the plot. At the very least, and even in 
DH as it was written, there should have been *some* plan to
get those memories to Harry, and some back up way to protect
those memories in case Snape did die prematurely (he was
playing a very dangerous game all along, after all!).

Julie