I'm not a fan of the "for the greater good" mentality either, but I can sympathize with Dumbledore, in some respects. He is confronted daily with some of the most difficult decisions in the entire Wizarding world; one mistake on his part could mean the deaths of thousands of innocents. For all that he loves certain people (like Harry, for instance, as we see at the end of book five), he has to harden his heart against his desire to spare them at the expense of the rest of the world, because as a general and a leader, he cannot show such favoritism. He assumes, I think, that everyone should be as willing to make sacrifices as he is himself, and so he believes that his choices will someday be understood, if not forgiven. I don't think he doesn't care about Snape, far from it; Dumbledore cares for him a great deal, but realizes that Snape is the only person who can win them the war. He is willing to ask much of Snape, because he demands as much, or perhaps more, of himself.

Thank you for reviewing!

Thank you; I'm so glad you liked it! I always try to "play" the dialogue in my head, like a film clip, to make sure it sounds realistic and in-character. I'm glad you think it works.

Well, with regard to Harry's opinion, we shall see, in coming chapters.

You can be sure that Dumbledore had a hand in it, as he seems to, in almost everything.

I will definitely keep writing; I'm curious, too, to see where this is going. I'm a pretty spontaneous writer -- my characters call the shots -- so I'm along for the ride, too.