Dumbledore notes that Snape is braver than Karkaroff and muses, “I sometimes think we Sort too soon,” leaving Snape “stricken.” (HP/DH, 680) Was he disparaging the Slytherin capacity for bravery? Was he sorry that Sorting put distance between Snape and Lily so early, or that vulnerable young Snape was surrounded by peers who undervalued his bravery? It’s an odd comment, but it does confirm that Dumbledore believes Snape is not the same person he was as a teen. He has changed, and Dumbledore sees
