[HPforGrownups] RE: What Snape knows; and what he's asked to do

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 15299

"Hillman, Lee" wrote:

> I feel it's entirely likely that Snape will face a great deal of pain
> and tribulation getting back into the DE's good graces,

It's not their good graces he has to worry about. It's Voldemort's.

> but certainly he is not the only DE to have gone to lengths to survive
> in the wake of V's rise and fall. It's well within the realm of
> possibility that he can gloss over the little bits of information he
> did pass to Dumbledore as "insignificant," since who knows the extent
> to which his work as a mole caused DE attacks to fail?

If Voldemort knows Snape was spying, Snape can cover by saying he
planted the seeds of doubt in James' mind about Sirius, so that James
switched to Peter, so that Snape had actually been doing Voldemort's
work and delivered the Potters to him, indirectly. See how well he did
it? ("When you try to deceive someone like Dumbledore, you have to do it
well, I see it even convinced you, my lord...")

> He can cite other people's maneuvers to cover their butts, not the
> least of whom is Lucius Malfoy, who convinced everyone he was acting
> under the Imperius curse for years (yeah, right).

And Voldemort seems to overlook it when "faithful" servants deny him,
because he understands the whole "means to an end" thing. It's when the
end was anything but Voldemort that he objects. If Snape can convince
Voldemort he was lying low and getting in a good position (his current
one at Hogwarts, trusted by Dumbledore) to help Voldemort when he
returned ("of course I knew you would rise again, Master, who could have
doubted it? I was preparing for the day you returned, so that I could be
of use to you")

> Assuming that Snape has the capability to grovel, worm, bully, and lie
> his way back in, he still won't have an easy time of it.

I imagine it's going to take some strength of mind or integrity of inner
self not to slip and let any duplicitousness be seen, too, especially
under Imperius spells cast by a potent will like Voldemort's. Let's hope
V. doesn't ask Snape to take Veritaserum.

> It's likely that he will not be trusted; the other DE's will only
> accept his return grudgingly, and certainly he's in for a few
> Cruciatus curses aimed his way.

The other D.E.'s probably have more to worry about than Snape. Not
forgetting that any questions after Voldemort says okay will likely be
interpreted as treason, I think the D.E.s are probably a bit concerned
with their leader's abilities and/or strength now that Harry escaped
*again.* And trust has not evidently been a big factor binding together
the big, happy D.E. family, anyway.

--Amanda


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