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"Severus, please …" ??

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  • 16-09-2014 7:11am
    #1
    FunLover18
    Registered Users Posts: 6,793 ✭✭✭


    I couldn't find a thread a Dumbledore's last words but it's something I've always been curious about. There are 3 possibilities in my opinion;
    • he's acting for the benefit of the Death Eaters, so they'll believe Snape is on their side
    • he's concerned that Harry is now going to be a witness to Snape's supposed betrayal (not his original plan I presume) although what he intends Snape to do about it I don't know
    • in the end Dumbledore (unlike Harry) is not brave enough to accept his fate
    What do other fans think?


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    #2
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    FunLover18 wrote: »
    I couldn't find a thread a Dumbledore's last words but it's something I've always been curious about. There are 3 possibilities in my opinion;
    • he's acting for the benefit of the Death Eaters, so they'll believe Snape is on their side
    • he's concerned that Harry is now going to be a witness to Snape's supposed betrayal (not his original plan I presume) although what he intends Snape to do about it I don't know
    • in the end Dumbledore (unlike Harry) is not brave enough to accept his fate
    What do other fans think?

    It was an act so they don't doubt Snape, It's explained in the books. He could hardly say "Snape, kill me like we planned." It even says the whole point of it was to gain Voldemort's trust.


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    #3
    kmc25_1
    Registered Users Posts: 38 ✭kmc25_1


    To me he wanted Severus to kill him, and was afraid Severus wouldn't.

    If Severus did not kill him, Draco might have been pressured into it . Severus would not have gotten more into the trust of Voldemort.


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    #4
    Cathmandooo
    Registered Users Posts: 17,324 ✭✭✭✭Cathmandooo


    Dumbledore wasn't afraid of death, 'death is but the next great adventure' so he wouldn't have been begging for his life and is accepting his fate. I can't believe you'd suggest Dumbledore wasn't brave :pac:

    It was definitely an encouragement for Snape to do it so as to cement his bond with Voldemort. I think it was an added bonus that Harry was a witness to it, to help him accept what happened.


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    #5
    FunLover18
    Registered Users Posts: 6,793 ✭✭✭FunLover18


    GarIT wrote: »
    It was an act so they don't doubt Snape, It's explained in the books. He could hardly say "Snape, kill me like we planned." It even says the whole point of it was to gain Voldemort's trust.

    Is it? I don't remember that
    Cathmandooo wrote: »
    Dumbledore wasn't afraid of death, 'death is but the next great adventure' so he wouldn't have been begging for his life and is accepting his fate. I can't believe you'd suggest Dumbledore wasn't brave :pac:

    It was definitely an encouragement for Snape to do it so as to cement his bond with Voldemort. I think it was an added bonus that Harry was a witness to it, to help him accept what happened.

    When Harry meets Dumbledore in King's Cross after the forest Dumbledore is talking about Harry's bravery in facing his own death and it's because of that that Harry would never fall victim to the Hallows and why he's a better man than him. Of course Dumbledore is brave but he makes it quite clear that he never took the Minister for Magic role because he was afraid what power would do to him. When you consider his reaction to the potion in the cave as well I think there may have been some fear there.

    I don't see how Harry witnessing could have been a bonus. It completely destroyed any chance of a relationship between him and Snape (not that there was much chance) at a time when Snape was the only person who could tell Harry the rest of the plan.


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    #6
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    I haven't read them in a couple of years but I'm pretty sure that it says Snape had to do it to get Voldemort's trust. Dumbledore knew this would have to happen so I would guess from there he was acting to make it look real.


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    #7
    ibarelycare
    Registered Users Posts: 58,456 ✭✭✭✭ibarelycare


    This is very clearly (I thought?) explained in the final book when Harry takes Snape's final memories to the pensieve and I thought the meaning of Dumbledore's last words was very clear.

    His choice of words was clever - he was saying to Snape "Please kill me like you promised" but to the Death Eaters it sounded like he was saying "Please don't kill me".

    Snape had voiced to Dumbledore his reluctance to carry out his request, and he actually hesitated before using the Killing Curse. That's when Dumbledore said those words. He had this planned out all along. I don't believe for one second that Dumbledore would ever plead for his life :)


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    #8
    ThatGeekGirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 99 ✭✭ThatGeekGirl


    FunLover18 wrote: »
    I couldn't find a thread a Dumbledore's last words but it's something I've always been curious about. There are 3 possibilities in my opinion;
    • he's acting for the benefit of the Death Eaters, so they'll believe Snape is on their side
    • he's concerned that Harry is now going to be a witness to Snape's supposed betrayal (not his original plan I presume) although what he intends Snape to do about it I don't know
    • in the end Dumbledore (unlike Harry) is not brave enough to accept his fate
    What do other fans think?

    Probably pointless raising an old thread but here goes - I am fairly certain it was explained in the pensive chapter at the end of Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore is being treated by Snape for the ring injury and finds out he has only a year or so to live, and as a result demands that Snape will be the one to kill him so that Draco won't have to thus saving Draco from doing such an evil deed. He did this knowing that he would not survive anyway, that Voldemort would kill Draco if he failed and that Snape could use it to get closer to Voldemort in the long run. Tis all in the book :D


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