One interesting clue I noticed last night while re-reading HPMOR to my wife as a bed time story is that Snape is essentially ordered by Dumbledore to stop reading students’ minds as a condition of his blackmail-agreement with Harry (Chapter 18), but we see later that Snape is clearly still reading minds without permission when he reads Alissa Cornfoot’s mind while she is fantasizing about him (Chapter 28). Previously I hadn’t thought that there was any real reason for that interlude in Chapter 28, but now I see that it tells us information about how Snape doesn’t follow Dumbledore’s orders.
I’m unsure that is an accurate description of the text.
You are more or less right about chapter 18. First, Harry makes his demand regarding Snape:
“Ah… he’s also to stop reading students’ minds.”
Then there is this corresponding line within the compromise Dumbledore offers:
He will promise to only read minds when the safety of a student requires it.
We don’t observe this promise actually being made. And we aren’t even assured of when it would be made. A pointlessly legalistic take on the terms could be that Snape will make that promise atsomepointinhislife.
But I think it’s safe to say that the promise was made shortly thereafter.
I also think it is plausible that it has been followed. The closing of chapter 28 may be addressed by another quote from chapter 18:
“Common sense is often mistaken for Legilimency,” said Dumbledore.
Hormone-addled children are ill-equipped for subtly. I think the more telling thing from the scene in chapter 28 is that Snapedirectlyrejectedherinsteadofleavingherpining, as he had been left pining. Previously he regarded the pain of rejection as the worst possible thing. But after his conversation with HJPEV, and I guess some introspection or whatever, he understands his acceptance of that rejection was better than eternal uncertainty.
I read this as meaning that Dumbledore’s order that Snape stop reading minds is just to mollify Harry. Dumbledore reads students’ minds (I argue here that Dumbledore reads the Weasley twins’ minds), and hence doesn’t actually care whether Snape does the same.
Harry, of course, has no way of checking that Snape is following this order, so it’s safe for Dumbledore to cross his fingers under the table, so to speak.
Dumbledore never promised to stop reading student’s minds. Not int chapter 18 when he said Snape would make that promise or in chapter 20 when he is called on reading HJPEV’s mind.
Also, Dumbledore’s offered compromise to HJPEV was this:
He will promise to only read minds when the safety of a student requires it.
It is not difficult to argue that the safety of some student, somewhere requires constant readings of the minds of the Weasley twins.
One interesting clue I noticed last night while re-reading HPMOR to my wife as a bed time story is that Snape is essentially ordered by Dumbledore to stop reading students’ minds as a condition of his blackmail-agreement with Harry (Chapter 18), but we see later that Snape is clearly still reading minds without permission when he reads Alissa Cornfoot’s mind while she is fantasizing about him (Chapter 28). Previously I hadn’t thought that there was any real reason for that interlude in Chapter 28, but now I see that it tells us information about how Snape doesn’t follow Dumbledore’s orders.
I’m unsure that is an accurate description of the text.
You are more or less right about chapter 18. First, Harry makes his demand regarding Snape:
Then there is this corresponding line within the compromise Dumbledore offers:
We don’t observe this promise actually being made. And we aren’t even assured of when it would be made. A pointlessly legalistic take on the terms could be that Snape will make that promise at some point in his life.
But I think it’s safe to say that the promise was made shortly thereafter.
I also think it is plausible that it has been followed. The closing of chapter 28 may be addressed by another quote from chapter 18:
Hormone-addled children are ill-equipped for subtly. I think the more telling thing from the scene in chapter 28 is that Snape directly rejected her instead of leaving her pining, as he had been left pining. Previously he regarded the pain of rejection as the worst possible thing. But after his conversation with HJPEV, and I guess some introspection or whatever, he understands his acceptance of that rejection was better than eternal uncertainty.
(emphasis added as edit)
I read this as meaning that Dumbledore’s order that Snape stop reading minds is just to mollify Harry. Dumbledore reads students’ minds (I argue here that Dumbledore reads the Weasley twins’ minds), and hence doesn’t actually care whether Snape does the same.
Harry, of course, has no way of checking that Snape is following this order, so it’s safe for Dumbledore to cross his fingers under the table, so to speak.
Dumbledore never promised to stop reading student’s minds. Not int chapter 18 when he said Snape would make that promise or in chapter 20 when he is called on reading HJPEV’s mind.
Also, Dumbledore’s offered compromise to HJPEV was this:
It is not difficult to argue that the safety of some student, somewhere requires constant readings of the minds of the Weasley twins.