[HPforGrownups] Re: Imperius-ed Lucius, what Snape knows

[Allen, Rebecca]

No: HPFGUIDX 33973

Eileen asked: 
 
> What evidence have we that Snape is aware of the CoS events? 
> Dumbledore hushes most everything up...

I agree that there is no direct evidence that Dumbledore informed Snape about the events at the end of CoS, but I'm arguing that it would be out-of-character for Dumbledore to have neglected to do so. We have, as of GoF, evidence to suggest that Dumbledore and Snape have a far deeper and more complicated relationship than Harry was previously aware of. In some ways it might be a father-son relationship, but also it seems like they still have a spymaster-spy relationship: here I refer to the time when Snape reported to Dumbledore that Karkaroff's scar as well as his was coming back, and also the fact that when Dumbledore sent Snape on this evidentially dangerous, secret mission, it was obviously a contingency plan that they had been working out in private together. So I can't imagine Dumbledore letting Snape run around thinking that Lucius has nothing to do with Voldemort anymore, it would be a bizarre lapse on D's part, IMHO.

However, I don't think that Snape knows about Lucius because Dumbledore told him, rather I think it's the other way around: Dumbledore is totally blazé about Lucius' connection to Tom Riddle because Snape had been telling him Lucius was an unrepentant DE all along. I think Pigwidgeon is totally correct to say: 

> A person, like Snape, who had participated in meetings and eventually also taken an
> active part in the DEs' evil deeds, IMO was able to distinguish curse-induced from
> authentic behaviour. 

Also, let's look at Snape's track record for figuring things out. He figured out that Lupin had some very strange and secret problem from his youthful spying forays, he figured out Quirrel was up to no good pretty quick, he's always on the spot to point out a suspicious situation and he can tell when Harry is lying by noticing when he blinks. Yes, he draws the wrong conclusions about Sirius and Lupin in PoA, but that's not for lack of scrutinizing the evidence. Rather, I'd argue that Snape errs on the side of suspicion rather than trust, and he usually seems to be able to read people pretty well. I think Lucius could only have fooled him if there were large extenuating circumstances that we don't know about. But I doubt it. :-)

Also, lets look at Lucius for a minute. While he seems like he'd be wise enough to keep still about his feelings and cunning enough to fool people, I'm not sure I see real evidence of that. Lucius is very rich and powerful and he seems to get what he wants more through bribery and intimidation than charm. He bought his son's way onto the Quidditch team, when Voldemort fell he made out a hefty check to St. Mungo's and when he wanted Dumbledore suspended from his position he didn't cajole the other board members into doing so, he threatened to curse their families. Plus he's quick to viciously inform Harry that he'll meet the same nasty end as his meddling parents. So I'm not sure that Lucius actually follows the advice he gives Draco to keep up appearances; rather I think his true sympathies are pretty evident.

Eileen also asks: 
 
> No, I agree, but would Snape care? If Malfoy has redeemed his messed-
> up life, why would Snape (who has too) barge in and tell 
> everyone, "It wasn't the Imperius curse!" 

I'd answer that Snape cares because it's still his job to do so, at least in private with Dumbledore. Of course this chimes in with my other belief that Snape is still unofficially spying on any Slytherin children from iffy families, and that he torments the Gryffindors and favors Draco to throw everyone off the scent. And maybe you have to buy this whole story or reject it all. But since it seems to me that if Snape's true loyalties lie with Dumbledore and one of his many talents is spying, then this whole thing just seems plausible to me.

/Rebecca


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