Why does Snape like Malfoy?

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 28204

> 
> Sara suggested:
> 
> <<We also don't know for 
> sure that Snape is really good. It has been said that he returned 
to 
> the good side and became a spy for Dumbledore at great personal 
risk 
> to himself, but some of his actions have been puzzling if he really 
> is on the good side. Another thing I've just thought of is, there's 
a 
> possiblity that Lucius didn't know Snape was spying while he was a 
> Death Eater, and by giving Draco a frosty reception Lucius' 
> suspicions could be raised as I would imagine Draco would be the 
> first to send an owl home slagging off anyone that wasn't nice to 
> him.>>
> 
Blaise wrote:

> I agree with most of these ideas.  The question of why Snape likes 
> Malfoy so much has puzzled me on numerous occasions.  

<snip good reasons for Snape's treatment of Malfoy>

I would support Sara's suggestion that 
> Snape wants to keep his Death Eater street-cred by favouring the 
> child of a presumably powerful Death Eater.  


I would add that Snape has to give the impression to Draco that Snape 
is in Voldemort's camp.  We know from Karkarov's testimony in the 
Pensieve that Snape has been successful at cultivating an image of 
being a DE spying on Dumbledore for Voldemort.  Karkarov tries to win 
release by revealing a Big Secret that Snape is a DE.  That suggests 
that Karkarov (and possibly other DEs and Voldemort) used to believe 
that Snape was spying for the Dark side.  Karkarov's attempts to call 
Snape's attention to the mark on his arm suggests that, 15 years 
later, Karkarov still believes Snape is a DE spy for Voldemort.  So 
if Snape were openly hostile to Draco, that would be inconsistent 
with his attempt to present himself to Voldemort as spying for 
Voldemort, although he's really spying for Dumbledore.

Cindy (who wonders how Snape can keep all of this straight)