HBP post DH look Chapters 1-2.

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 184351

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tommy_m_riddle" <scarah at ...> 
wrote:
>> > ("What
> > about my soul, Dumbledore?" "You take too much for granted,
> > Dumbledore. Maybe I don't want to do it any more!" That's canon.)
> 
> Sarah:
> After the first quote, Dumbledore strongly implies that there will 
be
> no wizarding moral implications, since Snape is basically going to
> euthanize him.  I've already addressed what I think about the 
second
> quote.  Snape also tells the Black sisters that he's pretty sure
> Voldemort wants him to do it anyway, and he even cracks a joke to
> Dumbledore about whether he'd like to die now, or have a moment to
> compose his epitaph.  That's canon.

Leah: Just popping into this discussion to take up the 'cracks a 
joke' bit. I really don't read that as a flippant ha-ha sort of 
joke.  It's typically Snape, and it's a  heavy bit of irony used to 
gather breath and thoughts when he's been taken totally off guard.  
Even though Snape knows that Voldemort wants him to eventually step 
in and kill Dumbledore, Snape wasn't expecting Dumbledore to 
agree.   If Harry had been in Snape's place, there would have been 
some sort of Capslock response to Dumbledore along the lines of 'You 
can't be serious asking me to do that'.  Snape, being Snape, brings 
out the big sarcasm guns, but his meaning is the same.  We know 
Snape isn't being flippant or jokey, because he then asks 'roughly' 
why Draco can't do the deed if DD is willing to die, and makes the 
perfectly serious enquiry about his soul.

Leah