death to capslock

Albus was a man who in certain ways passed the greater part of his own moral struggle and burdens onto Severus Snape, among others. He used the man, ruthlessly, as a mirror and a tool to shield himself from himself, from the full weight of the consequences of his own actions and errors.

His handling of one Tom Riddle, and refusal to be direct about addressing the problem because it would reveal his own complicity in creating it; his conduct as headmaster of Hogwarts and handling of the abuse Severus, among others, received there; the vilification of a quarter of the student population and adulation of another quarter that he encouraged, feeding into the war machine two streams of child victims, to be used by Tom and himself; his refusal to fully acknowledge and own up to the real errors of his that led to his sister’s death and what he needed to do in response, and his shunting-off of the echo of that work onto Severus Snape; his handling of the prophecy matter and the lives of his subordinates, which led in part to the deaths for which he held only Severus Snape (the only truly repentant one) fully responsible; his handling of the child delivered into his care, Harry, and the curse that marked him…

In so many ways the greatest difficulties of Severus’ life were created or driven in large part by Albus Dumbledore, and yet in response Albus offloaded all of the moral work and heavy lifting onto him. Betraying him, repeatedly.

Ultimately unto death, if we are to go with the straightforward reading of canon. (Hey! No body, no portrait - Severus lives! If you like to so believe.)

( Read more... )