Was Snape at the 3rd Task?

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 19799

Heidi wrote:

> I have a sinking feeling that the reason he didn't find Dumbledore 
at the
> Task as soon as the mark on his arm burned black was (a) because he 
did go
> to Voldemort then, or (b) because he wasn't at the Task and given 
the
> apparating ban at hogwarts, it took him a few minutes to get to 
Dumbledore -
> remember - the mark didn't burn until a while after Harry & Cedric
> disapeared, so if the crowd didn't know about the disapearance, 
there were
> only about 5-8 minutes between when the DEs were summoned & when 
Harry came
> back.

There's no evidence that Snape was at the Third Task, you're right, 
but why the sinking feeling?

If I had to put money on it, I'd say he wasn't at the graveyard and 
that he's the DE Voldemort plans to kill.  However, if Snape did heed 
Voldemort's summons, I think it was for a good reason, and with 
Dumbledore's blessing.  (It does provide a good answer to one Red 
Flag:  why does Snape flinch when Harry starts to name who was there?)

Ah, so many things I can't wait to find out about in Book 5!

Anyway . . .

As regards option (b), I think it's more than 8 minutes between the 
reappearance of the Mark and Harry's return.  It takes a few minutes 
for the DEs to appear, then Voldemort goes round the circle, then he 
tells his whole story, and then there's the duel.  I just timed myself 
reading a bit of Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters (bwahahaha!) 
and it took me 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per page.  Before he even gets to the 
duel, he talks for almost 15 minutes by my reckoning.  I'm not sure 
how it would matter, given that Apparating takes only a second 
regardless of where you're coming from (up to whatever the distance 
limit is, that is).  Even if he was shopping in Diagon Alley at the 
time (perhaps contemplating taking the plunge and buying off-black 
robes for a change), it would only take him a minute to get to the 
Hogwarts Apparition point and a few minutes to get to 
Dumbledore--easily getting there before Harry reappeared.  But what's 
the timing issue?  I'm confused.

Amy Z

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 "Before we begin our banquet, I would like 
 to say a few words.  And here they are: 
 Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
            --HP and the Philosopher's Stone
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