Snape as Harry's protector or not WAS Snape and moral courage LONG

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 184701

> Alla:
> And as long as we are speaking about informing Harry, now I think 
> that I believe Dumbledore took an easy way out again. I totally think 
> that Dumbledore himself should have told him and then truly let him 
> make that choice, but now I think that he was also afraid to say it 
> to Harry. Does it make sense? I have to sleep on it, because this is 
> quite a new thought to me.

Montavila47:
It does make sense to me.  I think that's one of the reasons 
Dumbledore seems so apologetic at King's Cross.  It really 
wasn't fair of Dumbledore to make Snape do deliver that 
message.  

But Dumbledore's defense, he didn't want Harry told until
the Horcruxes were destroyed.  And he didn't get have that
much time.

> Montavilla47:
> <SNIP>
> Also, people tend to point out that the letter really belonged to
> Harry and Snape was stealing it. <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> That would definitely be me, and I really do not think it matters 
> whether Snape expects Harry return to Grimmauld place and we know 
> that Harry wants to keep the staff from the place, he gets mad when 
> Dung is selling silver goblets, so we know that if 
> Snape thinks so, he is wrong again.
> 
> But that to me is one of the strongest evidence that Snape would not 
> care for Harry as a person one bit, I mean taking a part of the rare 
> part of his past, that can connect him to his parents. Ugh.

Montavilla47:
I agree with you that it doesn't matter in a moral sense.  Stealing is
wrong, whether or not the person you're stealing from will never
miss the thing you're taking.  Right?  I mean, Mundungus was only
taking stuff that Sirius had basically wanted to get rid of.  Didn't 
Sirius as much as tell him he could have the goblets?  But that
didn't make it right for him to take the stuff.


> Pippin:
> <SNIP>
> Why should Dumbledore make it obvious to Snape that he is hiding
> something, when he can probably do what Snape does when he is dealing
> with Voldie, and give him the guided tour? Let Snape sense only those
> thoughts and memories that Dumbledore wants him to see, I mean.
> 
> Alla:
> OH. I got it.  Do we know that Snape does that with Voldemort though? 
> Gives him guided tour, I mean, is that possible at all? I mean, I am 
> not saying it is not possible, but just not sure. If we do know that 
> you sold me the possibility that Dumbledore indeed tried to tell 
> Snape that something more than usual secret is happening here. I mean 
> I still do not think that Snape would have necessarily figured it 
> out, but I see what you mean and it makes sense to me.


Montavilla47:
I think it's very possible.  There's a part of DH where Harry sees
*through his connection with Voldemort* into the mind of 
Gregorivich.  Harry's connection to Voldemort is stronger than
normal (able to connect over vast distances), but it probably
isn't all that different.  

I do think that in order to Occlude successfully, Snape doesn't
just block Voldemort.  That would be extremely obvious, wouldn't 
it?  If Voldemort tried to look in Snape's mind and saw just a 
blank, he'd realize that Snape was hiding stuff from him and 
take steps to discover what it was.  Very painful steps, I'm
sure.

So, in order to successfully keep his position as Voldemort's
trusted, most favored Death Eater, Snape would need to 
allow Voldemort periodically to check his mind.  And Snape
would need to exercise very strong control over what he 
chose to let Voldemort see.