[HPforGrownups] Snape and the Map (was: Re: Thoughts on PoA Snape & What ...

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 48389

David:

> Eloise:
> > I cannot, for the life of me work out why Snape didn't tell 
> > Dumbledore about the Map. 
> 
> Well, one possibility is that Snape fears that Dumbledore would 
> legitimise Harry's possession of the map.  He's passed him an 
> invisibility cloak and let him off broken rules before.
> 
> He may also mistakenly believe that Dumbledore already knows as he 
> was close to James and Sirius.
> 
> He has to balance the benefit of Dumbledore generally knowing what's 
> going on against the risk that a policy for dealing with Harry that 
> he believes is wrong being further entrenched.
> 

That's the best explanation that I've heard. 

However, it is not unknown for Snape to take matters into his own hands when 
he thinks Dumbledore is wrong (he does this by running after Lupin and again 
by forcing his resignation) and if he *did* think that Dumbledore knew, but 
that it was a mistake to let Harry have the Map, then again, I would have 
expected him to have used the opportunity of finding it in Lupin's office to 
confiscate it. 

He didn't trust Lupin. In 'Snape's Grudge' there is implication that he might 
have thought that Lupin himself had given the map to Harry (presumably with 
nefarious intent). I suspect that, as has already been speculated (was it by 
you, Pippin?) he had a pretty good idea of just who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot 
and Prongs were, though not yet of the significance of the names. 

He had, as far as he knew, caught Lupin in the act of aiding and abetting 
Sirius. He still apparently believed in Lupin's guilt after the Shrieking 
Shack episode, so I am surprised that concern that Dumbledore was going to 
condone Harry using what he thought was a piece of Dark Magic outweighed his 
ability to present material evidence that Lupin was both up to no good and 
involving Harry to boot. Or that he didn't acquire the Map for personal use! 
It would be right up his street, really, wouldn't it? On reflection, I don't 
think he'd be too concerned about handling a piece of Dark Magic. He knows 
that Lupin and Harry have been and the man *was* a DE and does seem to be 
pretty proficient at DADA.

I do agree that Snape seriously disagrees with Dumbledore's treatment of 
Harry, but even placing that as his highest priority, I can't decide whether 
he would therefore act as you suggest and keep quiet, or whether he wouldn't 
take more drastic action, in ensuring the Map was 'lost'. I suspect the 
latter. 

Nor can I get over the fact that much as they disagree, Snape and Dumbledore 
do seem to enjoy each others' confidence, Snape seems to have no problem 
telling Dumbledore when he disagrees with him and he is, or was *his spy*. 
How can he justify the risk of witholding information?

Neville Longbottom was slated by McGonagall for leaving the Gryffindor 
passwords lying around. Snape left something which was clearly dangerous in 
the wrong hands in circulation within the castle. One conclusion was that 
Lupin would take it with him. Since he didn't trust Lupin, wasn't this a 
risky thing to allow? Even if he predicted Lupin would give it back to Harry, 
I still believe that he thought that it originated with Lupin, rather than 
Dumbledore, so again, it was risky.

I suppose that in GoF, once he realises that 'Moody' has it, perhaps he 
believes it's in safe hands. But it's his actions in PoA that I can't fathom.

Eloise


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