This has been one of the best 're-do' stories I have ever read. Albus' insistence on Snape's value has always struck me as innocent at best. Better described as negligent or even willfully malignant. Your reasoning behind Albus' willingness to sacrifice al and sundry to the gods of the greater good is a lot like my own. Depending on my mood, when I write him, he can be manipulative good, (doddering but convinced his view is right) Manipulative lawful, (willing to do anything to attain the goal he sets, as long as it meets his definition of moral, Manipulative evil, (my favorite!grins)where he is bent on either controlling the wizarding world or is as evil as Voldemort himself) and manip....well, you get the idea.
Sooner or later, it's going to come to a head, and either there will be a reckoning, or Dumbles will try a memory charm. Your Harry has indicated he is leery of that, as he cannot afford to lose his memories. (A Deus ex Machina I have used in that instance, is a fed up Fawkes 'lending his magic to Harry and breaking the bond with Dumbles. That might not work here, as you've indicated Fawkes is rather protective of his bondmate.
I eagerly await the next chapters of 'Like Some Song...' Alorkin
Author's response
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time trying to reason out just how Dumbledore thinks and I've come to the conclusion that he is a Catholic. Please don't anyone take this the wrong way since I was raised Catholic myself, it just never seemed to stick. Dumbledore can not, in any canon sense, be considered as dark since he has a pheonix companion and they are strictly creatures of the light; so how can we explain his behavior towards Harry and towards Snape? Dumbledore desires, above anything else, to reform those he feels are evil. He would rather redeem than destroy. He does this to the point where it is more important to him to give an evil soul a chance at salvation than to save a good soul from death. Someone who dies while good or innocent will be rewarded in the "next great adventure" so the pains of this one are unimportant. Evil will be damned beyond human understanding so it must be saved. At the duel in the MoM, Dumbledore tells Tom that there are worse things than death. Dying with a pure soul is better than living with a tainted one. Therefore Dumbledore feels morally justified in turning a blind eye to the pain of innocents, since they will be rewarded later, if by doing that he can give an evil soul an opportunity to be saved. This is the heart of Dumbledore's attitudes in this story. It is more important to give Snape, and Draco, every chance to reform than it is to protect the students from harm from Snape, or Draco. Harry, on the other hand, feels it is more important to protect the innocent from evil and let them worry about their own souls. Harry and Dumbledore will be having a heart to heart about this a bit later in the story. BJH