I was wondering the other day: Why when Dumbledore ran away and abandoned Hogwarts and the students to Umbridge and the Ministry, the castle still considered him to be the headmaster yet when Snape fled Hogwarts, the castle saw it as a desertion.
It was two entirely different things, really. Dumbledore didn't duel three of the staff memebers and crash through a window to join his "Master".
And if you remember, Dumbledore did not run away and abandon Hogwarts. He was about to be arrested and carted off to Azkaban, and I personally think he never left the castle. And, he returned to his post in the end.
We don't really know how the castle saw Snape's departure, we know how Minerva saw it, and to her it was desertion. After the war and all was said and done, it was Minerva Harry had to convince to allow Snape's Portrait to hang in the Headmaster's office, not the castle. So I think it has more to do with the next rightful Headmaster than with anything else.
Just another thing JKR might clear up with Pottermore, hopefully.
But then surely Snape had an even better reason than Dumbledore for leaving the castle as he was actually being attacked at the time by Minerva, Flitwick and Sprout when he fled instead of simply being threatened with being arrested. And it was Minerva who attacked him first and Flitwick who then joined in. If fact for most of the duel all Snape did was protect himself. As to Snape leaving to join Voldemort, no one really knew that. At the time all they knew was that Snape had fled. In fact we know he didn't join Voldemort as the Dark lord had to ask Lucius to go and fetch Snape for him. The only way the castle could think that that's where Snape was headed was if it could somehow read his mind and if it could do that then it would know that Snape's intent and mission was to protect Hogwarts and it's students and to help defeat Voldemort. Minerva had no say initially as to the portrait's creation as one is created and hung at the Headmaster's office as soon as they pass away and Minerva was not the headmistress at that time.
Cunha, JKR stated herself that it was Minerva Harry had to convince to allow Snape's portrait to hang in the Headmaster's Office. As I said, we don't know HOW the castle saw Snape's departure. You asked as question that no one but JK Rowling herself can answer. Again, as I said, maybe she will clear it up with Pottermore. ;)
Oh, trust me, I understand completely. There's things I would dearly love to have cleared up, things that bug the Hell right out of me, and I wish I could freaking ask her myself. I know there's a lot of info to come, but...yeah...I don't want to have to wait. So I can appreciate your impatience. :p
