All things Snape (verrry long)

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 30732

Hi, folks.
 
With all the new people and the renewed discussions of Snape's task, his
marital status and/or love life, the rumour about whether he covets the DADA
position, and various other material, all of which push my buttons, I
thought I'd chime in with some summaries and ideas. Some of this may
duplicate the Snape VFAQ, and none of it is "official," but I merely hope to
give everyone some things to think about.
 
1. Snape as DE/Snape as spy
 
This is probably one of the most asked questions about dear Sev, I think. To
summarize, this question ties in to Snape's past and the all-important Task
that Dumbledore sends him to do in "The Parting of the Ways." Is it to
resume his role as a double agent? But how can that be?
 
In the Pensieve flashback, Dumbledore reveals, ostensibly to a room full of
people, that Snape was indeed a Death Eater, but turned spy for the good
guys about a year before Voldy fell. Given that assurance, assuming
Dumbledore is being wholly truthful, how can it be that the other DE's don't
know he's a phony?
 
Further evidence seemingly against Snape comes from Voldemort himself. That
passage in the graveyard. Is Snape the one who left forever? Is he the
coward? 
 
And what about his interrogation of Quirrell in PS? Voldemort was in
Quirrell's head at the time--how could Voldemort believe Snape, should Snape
come back at the end of GoF?
 
Here's my opinion on the matter--it's evolved a bit since I last made noise
on this topic. I believe that when Snape originally joined the Death Eaters,
he was sincere. He believed in their cause and went and did horrible things
along with the worst of them. But somewhere along the line, he realised that
something was wrong. He may have discovered that the goals they preached had
nothing to do with their true activity, or perhaps he figured out that once
V got what he wanted, the other DE's would be useless to him and therefore
at risk. Or maybe there's some unrequited or rejected love issues (hmph).
But whatever the reason, he came to the conclusion that he could no longer
continue to support Voldemort.
 
Now, if Snape were really thinking ahead, he *could* have paved his
defection thus. He *might* have gone to Voldemort before speaking to anyone
else. "My lord, I have a brilliant new way to serve you." He could have
pitched the idea that he "pretend" to defect to Dumbledore's side, all the
while promising Voldemort that once in, he'd be able to access the old
fool's secret plans. He could use his insider status with the DE's as the
bargaining chip to keep from being sent to Azkaban and stay in the game.
Voldy might have liked the idea. Approved the plan. "Yes, Severus, go and be
a turncoat, but then come back and tell me what you learned."
 
By that scenario Severus came to Dumbledore *with Voldemort's knowledge and
permission.* He could have told Dumbledore the whole truth, that he was
really defecting but feared for his life if V figured that out, and he and
Dumbledore hatched a way for him to pass information both ways. He might not
have known how much of what he told Voldemort was real and how much was made
up, but it must have been enough to convince the DE's he was still working
for them. In the meantime, he could go about his business with the DE's and
occasionally pick up some tidbit of information that he could safely pass to
Dumbledore. 
 
Thus, when Voldemort fell and Dumbledore cleared Severus's name in a
semi-public way, none of the DE's worried about it. First of all, they were
all lying, too, so they might think it was a ruse on Sev's part. Secondly,
they might have figured, or might have known, that Snape was their "inside"
man. Hence Malfoy's continued goodwill and other Slytherin parents as well.
 
There are other variations on this theme that work equally well. He could
have hatched the plan to decieve Dumbledore in earnest, but after beginning
to work with the good guys realised it was the real way to go. Or he could
have covered his trail simply as a more elaborate version of others'
stories: for Malfoy, it was the Imperius Curse; for Snape, it was "spying
for the good guys."
 
Either way, the important thing is that he has some way of convincing
Voldemort and the others that he isn't "really" on the good guys' side. 
 
As far as the PS business with Quirrell, Voldemort must have had reasons for
not revealing himself to Severus at that time. Snape had no reason to
believe that Quirrell wasn't acting out of his own greed, and if Voldemort
never showed himself or instructed Quirrell to inform Snape, how could he
have thought otherwise? 
 
I believe that Voldemort didn't want to reveal himself to any loyal servants
until he was more substantial than a disembodied spirit taking up residence
as an extra face on the back of some random dude's head. I mean, while it's
repulsive, it's not particularly awe-inspiring or glamourous to return that
way. Certainly not triumphant, either. Contrast it with the welcome he
planned for his DE's in GoF. He wants to regain their support through fear
and awe and impress upon them his ability to conquer death. He doesn't want
to appear weak or helpless and he certainly doesn't want to beg for their
help. I believe that had Quirrell succeeded and got the stone for Voldemort,
he would have been quick enough to stake his claim on Snape's loyalty.
 
Why is it so important that Snape be able to worm his way back into
Voldemort's good graces? Because tactically, at the end of GoF, there is no
other course of action I can conceive that does him or Dumbledore any more
good than going back to be a spy again. If he does NOT, he openly declares
that his loyalty has shifted and all kinds of bad things happen. First of
all, he becomes a marked man. Secondly, the Slytherin students whose parents
are involved will no longer trust him, so he certainly ceases to be a
sounding board for them. Third, Dumbledore is once again left without a
source of information from Voldemort's camp. Fourth, he can't use Severus
any other way because the DE's will be looking for him, so he'd become a
virtual prisoner at Hogwarts. 
 
It's been pointed out before, and it's worth noting again, that the scene in
the hospital occurs one week before the leaving feast, and Snape is
*present* at the feast. So whatever task he does perform, it's something he
leaves to do immediately and accomplishes in time to be back for Harry to
see him at the feast. It's also worth noting that at no time does Voldemort
promise that the coward's punishment will be less painful or fatal than the
betrayer's, and he does seem to indicate in both cases a sort of desertion.
Furthermore, he notes some doubt in each case, as well, so it's endlessly
debatable whether he meant Snape as the coward and Karkaroff as the deserter
or the other way round. In both cases, the DE's in question can expect to be
punished, probably unto the point of death. He specifically plans to kill
the deserter, but saying the coward "will pay" does not mean he will not
eventually be killed as well.
 
Other theories about the task abound. Polyjuice potion, contacting some
other group such as vampires or Dementors, even setting up safehouses are
possibilities for his task. But does any one of those do anything to
singularly and unequivocally both secure Snape's life for the time being AND
give Dumbledore a tactical leg up in the battle? 
 
Leaving aside that I agree the Ministry will pin the murder of Cedric on
Crouch Jr., thus making it impractical for Snape to impersonate him, what
good would using Polyjuice do? He might be able to pretend to be someone
else for a short while, but how would that keep the DE's from learning that
"Severus Snape" is a bona fide traitor? More to the point, what discreet
strategic and tactical advantage does that give Dumbledore? Not to mention
we've discussed on this list how it seems clear that whatever he goes to do,
he and Dumbledore have had this contingency plan in place for a long time.
Impersonating Crouch because he's available seems like a snap decision, and
this task does not feel like a quick decision of any sort.
 
Say he goes to contact the Dementors or the vampires. Say even that they
promise to protect his life. Can Dementors behave in that sort of way? We've
seen no evidence that they can control the effect they have on people, or
that they use their powers in any sort of protective manner. And vampires?
We hardly know anything about them in JKR's world. But even if there is a
way for one of these groups to help him in the short run, how does that help
in the long? He still can't have them hanging about in class. He'll still be
"outed" with the DE's. And while the alliance may be helpful, how much of an
edge does that really give Dumbledore? And could that type of negotiation
really have taken less than a week?
 
I remain utterly convinced that reestablishing his "loyalty" to Voldemort is
Snape's only reasonable alternative as a Task.
 
Whew. Okay, that was just the one issue, but I think it's the biggest. Are
you still with me? Dang, you get a rubber cigar.
 
2. Marital Status and/or Lovelife
 
I hate this theory. I just thought I'd be up front about that. Nonetheless,
I'll try to be objective.
 
Many listies have speculated as to what exactly made Snape so bitter and
hateful. As Amanda's husband puts it, "Snape has a Past with a capital P."
(Thanks, Jan!) So what about that Past made him this way?
 
Naturally, say many, it must have been some kind of love lost. Either he
loved someone who didn't love him back (Lily, Mrs. Lestrange, Narcissa,
Petunia, Florence, James, Sirius, Remus, Lucius, someone we haven't met,
etc.), or he was happy in love and had it taken away (The Wife Who Died).
 
Personally, I think his past troubles relate to some abuse in his
upbringing, his move to the DE's an attempt to escape to something "better,"
and his rude awakening afterward to be a slow realisation that they weren't
all they were cracked up to be, but let's explore this other theory for a
moment.
 
Okay, we hear from admittedly biased sources (the Marauders) that Snape has
always been a bit... lax, let's call it, on the personal grooming side.
There's JKR's reaction to a question about Snape's lovelife-- "Who would
want Snape in love with her?" And yet she wanted Alan Rickman for the
celluloid-that-must-not-be-named. This seems to set up a conflict--either he
just doesn't care about his appearance, yet has a certain "je ne sait quoi"
about him anyway, or he really wasn't that bad all the time. 
 
Let's speak in generalities for a minute. Lots of teens, male and female, go
through periods where their hygiene is either less than desirable, or simply
out of their control. Acne, hormonal changes, eating habits, exercise
habits--all these factors contribute to greasy hair, oily skin, and even the
state of one's teeth. Some listies have pointed out economic conclusions
from Severus's dental health--perhaps his family couldn't afford braces--or
perhaps he smoked, or perhaps he just hated to brush. For lots of teens like
this, there comes a break point, when it becomes suddenly Important to look
good. Usually, it's when there's someone they Like involved.
 
Knowing this still doesn't offer any concrete conclusions about Sev. Perhaps
he cleaned up his act to attract someone, and it didn't work, so he went
back to not caring. Perhaps he lost the object of his affection and has been
clinically depressed all these years. 
 
There's one part of this theory that makes a little sense--and that's as a
contributing factor to his joining the DE's. Again, my gut reaction is that
love had nothing to do with it, but it's possible that a rejection in love
prompted him with an "I'll show them" attitude to join up. It's also
conceivable that at first he refused, like many other wizards, and then
Voldy went and blew up the wife and kids so Snape joined to save his own
hide. I feel that's a little too dramatic and certainly not necessary, but
admittedly there's potential.
 
What I don't get is those people who say that such an occurrence is what
prompted him to *leave* the DE's. Why would Voldemort order the deaths of
Snape's loved ones, if he were already working for him? Why would a failed
affair of the heart convince Snape he's wrong about the DE's and make him
want to change? An elaborate proving to Lily or whomever that he's really a
good guy at heart? I suppose a case could be built for that, but boy, it's a
stretch, IMO.
 
 
We're getting to the end, I promise. Only one more thing (and no, it's not
whether Snape's a vampire. I can handle that in two words, if you like):
Snape as DADA teacher.
 
Again, I believe that this is a student-based rumour and has little basis in
truth. We have the canonical evidence that no one but Lockhart applied for
DADA in CoS. 
 
However, it's *just possible* that on that occasion, Snape *expected* to be
offered the job and was waiting for it to happen. Immature and way dumb, not
to express interest, but just egotistical enough to be possible. He might
have been testing Dumbledore's trust in him, seeing whether he would be
"thought of" for the job.
 
It does NOT make sense that he'd make the same error twice, though, so while
that might hold up for one year, it doesn't apply to 3 and 4. But really, I
think he's far too happy with Potions to move. I think he gets a huge kick
out of being the teacher who is extra scary and extra tough.
 
A friend of mine is going through his teaching certification. He looks
forward to being the history teacher all the kids hope they don't get. He
wants to be the one from whom a C is equivalent to any other professor's A.
I think that's Snape, sorta. 
 
As many others have pointed out, there have been extenuating circumstances
colouring Snape's relationship with every one of the DADA teachers so far. I
for one would welcome a DADA he actually respects, so that we could see more
of the professional side of Snape. He has some sort of a friendly rivalry
with McGonagall. She makes comments about the Quidditch season several
times, and nearly always in connection to Snape. My theory is they have side
bets going among the teachers (which also explains why she got Harry the
very latest in brooms when she had the chance), but that's neither here nor
there. And we know they work effectively as a team, along with Flitwick and
others. The scene in the staffroom where they hoodwink Lockhart is one of my
favourites involving the teachers.
 
A final note, regarding Snape's status as Head of House. I do think he's
young, especially among wizards with longer lifespans, but I also think it
makes sense for him to be Head of House. Teaching doesn't seem to fit the
Slytherin ambition mold, so perhaps there aren't many Slytherin teachers in
residence. But beyond that, if he still is in a relatively good position in
the eyes of former DE's, it makes sense to place him in authority over their
kids, so he can be on hand if one of them begins to waver.
 
One of my pet theories all along has been that Snape is there to protect the
Slyth kids from their own families, to be on hand as a sounding board and
confidante in case one of them should begin to fall. Granted, Draco's a
prime example of a child at risk, but neither can Snape storm in guns
blazing and assume the father-figure role for them. Hard as it is, he has to
wait until they come to him. But it makes sense that he be the logical one
for them to turn to. Being Head of House makes it that much easier. From the
other side of the fence, I think Malfoy and the others would rather have one
of their own leading their kids than a Slytherin who wasn't a DE, and Sirius
says (wrongly, but with reason to be wrong) that he can't imagine Dumbledore
hiring a Death Eater as a teacher.
 
Which brings me to one final, final thing: the Dark Mark on their arms. I
believe this has a dormant state where it is not visible. It was growing
darker throughout the year because Voldemort was strengthening himself by
drinking Nagini's milk. Snape says it burned brightly about the time that
Voldemort summoned the DE's to him; then faded slowly after that. If he'd
waited another hour or so, it probably would have been gone. That's the only
explanation I can think of that accounts for its appearance without making
it a distinguishable, discernable mark that Aurors could use to identify the
enemy.
 
There are probably many Snape-related discussions I'm forgetting, or
ignoring, but this has gone on more than long enough. It's time for me to
shut up.
 
Gwendolyn Grace