What Did Snape Do In GoF?

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 34647

Rosenatti wrote:

 
> Well, Voldie has a tendency to suffer convenient brain death 
whenever 
> the plot demands it (example a: his Scooby-Doo tendency to waste 
time 
> telling Harry every little notion in his bald head before 
attempting 
> to kill the kid -- and then going about it in a singularly 
protracted 
> and implausible manner). 

I'd have to admit that Voldemort was a numb-skull of a villian in 
PS/SS ("his mother's protection -- I forgot") and in CoS ("phoenix 
tears -- I forgot").  Definitely not ready for prime time.

But Voldemort studied up for GoF, and it showed.  I thought his 
behavior in the graveyard was reasonable, as he didn't have any 
memory lapses that time.  Sure, he chatted up the DEs before killing 
Harry, but there was no hurry.  Sure, he could have blasted Harry 
right on his father's grave, but where's the fun in that?  He had to 
prove that he was back and badder than ever, and it was going to be 
quite a re-birthing if Priori Incantantem hadn't intervened and 
messed everything up.  The trend line has Voldemort getting better 
and better with every . . . embarrassing defeat, so Voldemort might 
even win the battles in OoP.

Rosenatti again:

> Assuming he keeps what's left of his wits, it's possible that 
> Voldemort will attempt to use Snape to spread misinformation. But 
> shouldn't Snape and Dumbledore be aware of this possibility? Either 
> way, for the Byronic hero of the Good Ship L.O.L.L.I.P.O.P.S. to 
> return to the DEs, someone -- Snape, Dumbledore, V. -- is going to 
> have to play the fool.
> 

Mmmm, not necessarily.  I would think that Snape can go back to 
Voldemort by saying that he has been spying for Voldemort all along.  
Snape will need to embellish the facts a bit ("How did you expect me 
to come to the graveyard -- you know I can't apparate off the 
Hogwarts grounds, and it would have blown my cover had I been seen 
sprinting off the grounds in the middle of the Third Task").  As for 
Dumbledore's outing Snape in the Pensieve, Snape can just say this is 
proof of how well he has managed to position himself in Dumbledore's 
camp -- the old man has no clue that Snape is still working for the 
DEs.  

If Snape plays his cards right, I think he can continue to spy for 
Dumbledore without suffering even one Cruciatus Curse, to my bitter 
disappointment.

Rosenatti again:

>Karkaroff knows Snape worked for 
> Dumbledore during V.'s first reign, becuase he was in court when 
> Dumbledore blew his trusty spy's cover. Karkaroff has already shown 
> he has no problem naming names to save his own skin, so we can 
expect 
> him to rat on Snape should his former DE buddies catch up with him 
> and decide to settle scores. So, even if V. has another brain burp 
> and accepts Snape back, it probably won't be for long... not with 
> friend Igor out there playing the loose cannon.

Poor Igor.  He's the Rodney Dangerfield of the HP books -- he gets no 
respect at all.  He needs someone to defend him, someone to explain 
why he did what he did.  You know, lots of people have weak chins, 
strained smiles and yellow teeth, but that doesn't make them all bad.

Why is it that people are willing to forgive Snape for making the bad 
decision of becoming a DE, but they are so hard on my little Igor?  
Igor made a mistake, and then he turned on his buddies by naming 
names.  Snape made a mistake, and then he turned on his buddies, 
probably by naming names, passing information, and possibly even 
ratting out his old Slytherin friends.  At least with Karkaroff, we 
don't know whether the people he ratted out were old school chums.  

I think I'm ready to cut Igor a break, provided he agrees to ditch 
the furs.

Cindy (feeling charitable toward everyone but Snape)