Lucius Malfoy, Snape's cover

[Elizabeth Dalton]

No: HPFGUIDX 30789

Jamie wrote:

> However, if Snape truly believes 
> that Lucius has repented of his DE days, it would make sense for 
> Snape to favor Draco....

Now *there's* something to watch for in OoP. If Snape starts giving signs that
he's not so completely fond of Draco as before, we're onto something.

OTOH, as Gwendolyn points out in her amazing post, if Snape is still trying to
string along V. & the DEs, he won't be able to change his behavior toward Draco
at all. Even if he was surprised about Lucius.

Personally, I didn't read that scene (in the hospital at the end of GoF) that
way on my first read. I thought Snape was trying to keep Harry from telling
Fudge any more, for any of a variety of good reasons. But once the die was cast,
Snape threw in and supported Harry's story in an admirable (and dangerous) way.
It's one of the few scenes where he isn't in any way nasty to Harry-- and in
fact, they are clearly on the same side. I'm still pondering the significance of
their final scene together at the Leaving Feast, in which their eyes meet and
Snape looks away first....

Cindy's theory about Snape admitting to V. that he let the Dementor get Crouch,
Jr. is inspired, but again seems a bit spur-of-the-moment for what seems to have
been a long-laid contingency plan.

Elizabeth

(Who can, in fact, tolerate the idea that Snape had a secret "thing" for Lily,
but doesn't see that as a necessary motivation for him being or not being a DE
or spy. Just a convenient excuse for why he loathes Harry so much.)