Snape's Psychology: WAS: More thoughts on the Elder Wand subplot - Owner?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 187513

> > zanooda:
> > 
> > I still think we keep blaming Snape for the wrong thing here. We
> keep saying he didn't ask DD to save James and Harry together with 
> Lily. Is it true though? Snape came to DD with a warning and a 
> request. However, we don't know what that request was, because
> Snape simply didn't get to it, as DD interrupted him with 
> questions. 

<snip canon scene> 

Alla: 
> Two things in the paragraph above make me 100% convinced that Snape
> intended to ask Dumbledore only about saving Lily.
> 
> Sure, I can see how you interpret Dumbledore blaming Snape to 
> asking LV to spare onlt Lily.
> 
> What I do not see is how you can interpret Snape's  *response* as
> anything but him intending to ask Dumbledore as well only for
> Lily's life.
> 
> Snape says after Dumbledore expressing his disgust "hide them all,
> then". It is this *then* that tells me that had Dumbledore not
> expressed his disgust and was more agreeable with Snape asking for 
> Lily only that Snape would have asked for her life too. Then to me
> is an afterthought.
> 
> And second thing what he says is "keep her - them - safe". Again,
> first out of his mouth is what he truly wanted to ask and as after
> thought, to get Dumbledore to be more agreeable is "them".

Jen: I decided to read the sequence again too, not certain about my interpretation.  The most telling moment for Snape is this one imo:

"You know what I mean!  He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down - kill them all- "

"If she means so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her?  Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?"

"I have - I have asked him -" 
(Chap. 33, p. 677, US edition)


Jen again: *Possibly* Snape agreed to Dumbledore's question without hearing his exact words, that Snape was agreeing that yes indeed, he had asked Voldemort to spare Lily in exchange for Harry.  However, when you add that moment to the points Alla mentioned, it's heavily implied that Snape asked Voldemort to save Lily only.

That brings up another question though: why did Dumbledore phrase it that way, in *exchange* for Harry??  Snape already said Voldemort intended to hunt down all three of the Potters.  There's no 'exchanging' Lily for Harry if all three are meant to die. Snape would need to actually have Harry, or hold the key to killing Harry, if he is able to offer Harry in place of Lily.  I can't decide if that's imprecise writing, or the phrasing just sounded good to JKR or....what?