Heaping vow upon vow/Viewing the evidence

[annemehr]

> Anne:
> We have to remember that Dumbledore's and Trelawney's accounts may
> both be true -- if we allow that DD failed to tell Harry the *whole*
> truth in OoP i.e., presumably leaving out a part about Aberforth
> showing Snape to DD before throwing him out.

> 
> Carolyn:
> If you re-read Ch 25, the whole explanation gets dodgier and dodgier 
> IMO. Why on earth did DD go to the pub to talk to Trelawny, and not 
> just the pub but up to her bedroom? And how come Snape knew where DD 
> was? It seems clear that the silly old bat had no real idea what 
> happened:
> 
> 'Yes, there was a commotion outside the door and it flew open, and 
> there was that rather uncouth barman standing with Snape, who was 
> waffling about having come the wrong way up the stairs, although I'm 
> afraid that I myself rather thought he had been apprehended 
> eavesdropping on my interview with Dumbledore - you see, he himself 
> was seeking a job at the time, and no doubt hoped to pick up tips!'

Anne:
I only meant the scene *could* have unfolded the way DD and Trelawney
describe together. I.E:

1. Interview ends; Trelawney starts prophesying -- meanwhile, Snape is
evesdropping.

2. Midway through prophecy, Aberforth apprehends Snape; commotion
ensues, which prevents Snape from hearing any more of Trelawney --
meanwhile, DD finishes listening to the prophecy.

3. Trelawney finishes and comes to; hears end of commotion, and
Aberforth takes Snape into the room.


As to why DD met Sybil in the Hogs Head (apart from plot
considerations, I mean), we can only speculate.  It was at the height
of VWI; perhaps DD had a policy of admitting as few strangers as
possible into Hogwarts grounds.

Once Snape became DDM, he could have told DD exactly how much prophecy
he did overhear, or even provide a memory -- meaning DD could have
known this before the attack at GH, even if he hadn't already deduced
it from noting when the commotion in the hallway began.

As for Snape knowing where DD was, he may have got lucky and seen him
go up.  Or, there was some other bit of luck.  Or, Wormtail heard
Dumbledore chatting about the upcoming interview after the end of an
Order meeting and reported it. LV's side just got lucky somehow (no
fair Harry having all the luck, anyway).  Or, yes, as you speculate,
maybe DD allowed himself to be followed -- the occasion of a harmless
job interview might serve double-duty to help flush out a LV supporter.

*If* I was in the habit of applying Occam's razor to JKR's plots, I
would say that this is all that happened.  As it is, unless I've
overlooked something big, I think this is the way it *may* have happened.

I also think that, by the end of that night, DD concluded Snape would
be carrying his half of the prophecy to LV.

Anne
also figuring DD used his pensieve to nail down the exact point the
commotion began in the hallway (assuming there was one), as well as
doublechecking any of the wording he may have missed the first time around