[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape as Double agent

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 17472

lea.macleod at gmx.net wrote:

> Lyda: Also, I think that word of Snape's spying has no doubt made it's
> way to Voldemort. PS/SS anyone? Voldie is right there on the back of
> Quirrell's head all year, when Snape is suspicious of Quirrell; how
> could he *not* realize where Snape's new alliances lie? Further,
> Rebecca mentioned the "I believe" in Voldemort's statement about the
> one who has "left [him] forever", and I too think that this admission
> of uncertainty is quite important to future books, whether or not
> Snape returns as spy.
>
> Again, I agree. I think it is *impossible* that Lord V will receive
> Snape back. IMO there´s no way getting around it that Lord V *knew*
> Snape was a double agent, at least he knew from the time Snape openly
> changed sides.

About the Quirrell thing. I'm reasonably sure that nobody, Snape
included, knew that Voldemort was in residence on Quirrell's head.
Voldemort knew this, too. All Snape suspected Quirrell of was trying to
steal the stone, and challenged his loyalty on the grounds of the
resultant betrayal of Dumbledore. I have no idea whether Snape had
suspicions of *why* Quirrell wanted the stone, but if he thought that
Quirrell was trying to resurrect Voldemort, I *really* don't think he'd
have left Dumbledore out of the loop. So Snape's actions in PS/SS are
consistent with a man trying to keep his cover as a "good guy."

So, the action in PS/SS should not, in and of itself, prevent Snape from
going back to Voldemort. Even though Snape was instrumental in foiling
Voldemort's purposes, Snape didn't know this, and Voldemort was hardly
in a position to let him know, unsure of Snape as he was.

But I can see a quite plausible scenario where Snape goes to Voldemort
and presents his past 12 or so years as a living hell of kowtowing to an
old Muggle-loving fool, putting up with Muggle students who didn't know
what end of a cauldron was up, wasting his talents, etc., etc., all to
be in this wonderful position of Trusted High-Ranking Professor when
Voldemort came back. And who could doubt that Voldemort was going to
return?

Voldemort's egotist enough to accept this. If Snape can explain away the
reasons that Voldemort thinks have made Snape leave him (which I *still*
think has something to do with Lily, but let that go), I think
Voldemort'll blast him a couple of Cruciatus just for grins and let him
back in. I think it is Voldemort's fatal flaw that he believes he can
detect all lies, which will keep him from doing the absolute tests like
Veritaserum or the Imperius Curse.

So I do think Snape's going to have to hook up with his old crew. And I
think he better watch his back. [Then again, if he *has* felt at all
cooped up or has other suppressed feelings over his tenure at Hogwarts,
he might positively enjoy having to blast, say, Mr. Goyle--in
self-defense, of course. Very releasing.]

> Remember how he used the Cruciatus curse on one DE (Avery, I think)
> who rejoined him instantly of his own accord, simply because he had
> avoided Azkaban. Remember Lord V telling the remaining DEs he wanted
> 13 years repayment before he would truly accept them into his
> following again.

Remember Lord V looking like a fool in front of all the DEs when Harry
escaped him again. Remember Lord V is lacking his "faithful servant"
now. I think he's not in as good a position to pick and choose as he
might have been, whether he admits this or not.

> Now imagine what kind of repayment Lord V would ask
> of someone who has not been biding his time (acting normal and
> respectable outwardly) but who has helped Lord V actively to his
> (first) downfall... I don´t think you´d be able to survive that
> repayment...

What Snape actually did was focus attention on the wrong man. Which
helped get the wrong man imprisoned, and left Peter Pettigrew free to
hide for 12 years and then assist Voldemort back. Snape could argue that
he did his job, and maintained his cover, and Wormtail was the one who
was free to seek Voldemort. Snape was doing HIS job, why wasn't
Wormtail? It wasn't HIS fault that Wormtail is a sniveling little weenie
that waited so long.....so I think Snape could explain this one, in the
right sort of "attitude" for Voldemort to take the bait.

> I mean Snape is a brave man, but to make him walk open-eyed towards
> such a fate it probably needs more than Dumbledore politely asking him
> to...

Someone had said that Dumbledore would never ask this. I don't think he
would. But I think that this has all been worked out, over quite a long
time and many discussions, and this *is* something that Dumbledore would
allow Snape to choose to do. It is our choices.

--Amanda


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