Character Sketch: Severus Snape

[Kimberly]

No: HPFGUIDX 12288

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., mschub at y... wrote:
> I think another element of this question is how does Karkaroff feal 
> about Snape? He's in the courtroom, having just given Snape over to 
> the authorities, and Dumbledore stands up and really takes the wind 
> out of his sails by announcing that Snape was a spy for the good 
guys. 
> You'd think this would at the very least make him a little wary of 
> Snape, and at the most make him LOATHE him (the Death Eaters seem 
the 
> type to hate a traitor over and above anyone else). And yet he 
openly 
> approaches him with the news that his scar (brand?) is getting 
darker. 
> Perhaps he sees some sort of camaraderie in that they've both fled 
> from the Death Eaters and are frightened to see V come back? I just 
> can't figure out why he'd just so blindly accept him.
> -Mike

I wondered about this too.  When I read Karkaroff's trail scene again 
recently, it struck me that he didn't mention Snape until it became 
clear that he wasn't doing very well, and the word 'desperate' (or 
desperation?) was used.  Apparently he didn't *want* to rat on Snape, 
and only did it as a last resort.  Were the two of them friends?  
Snape seems very tolerant of Karkaroff even as he's clearly 
exhasperated by his cowardice.  Snape is not particularly tolerant of 
many people.  I think it's possible that there was some small degree 
of lingering fondness, and he hoped that Karkaroff would show some 
strength of character and stand his ground, and was disappointed.

just a thought,
kimberly