Snape and moral courage WAS: Re: The Houses, Finally

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 184695

 
> Alla:
> 
> Nowhere just as I do not see anywhere in canon that word protection 
> means agreeing that Harry has to die.
>

Pippin:
Haven't you and Montavilla just concluded that nowhere does Snape
agree to it?  

What Snape is ordered to do is tell Harry, when the time comes, that
Voldemort cannot die until the soul bit within Harry has been
destroyed, and that Harry must die at Voldemort's hands to accomplish
this. That's all.


Snape is not ordered to make sure that Harry agrees.


Snape is never told to stop protecting Harry.


He is not  ordered to *let* Voldemort kill Harry. As Dumbledore
reminds him, it is often  beyond Snape's power to save
the lives of people he is helping Dumbledore protect, including
Dumbledore himself. This time is not likely to be different. 

Voldemort is no longer hiding in the body of a weak wizard whose
curses can easily be countered by Snape. Snape, who does not love
Harry, does not have the power to protect him the way Lily did, not
that Voldemort is likely to give him the choice.

Nor has Snape ever been effectual at keeping Harry from getting
anywhere Harry really wanted to go. Once Harry was ready to confront
Voldemort, there would have been !@#$ Snape could do about it, dead or
alive.

In any case, Snape was not released from his promise to protect Harry.
All that changed was the reason for the protection.

If Snape knew of an alternative method of destroying soul bits, there
would have been nothing to stop him from telling Harry what it was. 

Except...the realization that Dumbledore, who did love Harry, would
not have suggested that Harry endure what was likely to be a painful
and humiliating death without an ulterior motive.


All the DE's in the graveyard were told that Voldemort had used
Harry's blood, carrying Lily's protection, to resurrect himself. Snape
would not have failed to learn of it. Snape himself may not be a
specialist in love magic. But he knows that Dumbledore is.

Wouldn't Snape guess that something unexpected might happen if
Voldemort tried to kill Harry again, especially with Dumbledore
dropping  broad hints by keeping his eyes tight shut? 

Dumbledore is hardly such a slouch at occlumency that he can't do it
with his eyes open.

Pippin