Shack Flints, Snape's motivation

[christi0469]

No: HPFGUIDX 36813

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "marinafrants" <rusalka at i...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Kwhateverr2001 at c... wrote:
> 
> >    I hate to be argumentative in my first post, but I humbly
> disagree.  No 
> > way could Dumbledore persuade Snape of Black's innocence, 
especially
> so soon 
> > after the incident.  Snape was still burning from losing 
the "Order
> of 
> > Merlin" title which would cause him to be much less sympathetic 
to
> all 
> > concerned.  I think he only did the handshake brecause Dumbledore
> asked him 
> > to, and with all the events that had taken place, he probably 
would
> have felt 
> > very petty had he refused.  The handshake was not an admission on
> Snape's 
> > part of Black's innocence, but more of an agreement to disagree 
for
> the time 
> > being, since they had bigger fish to fry at that point in time. 
> Also out of 
> > respect for Harry, grudging thought it may be.

Marina write,
 
> Nope, afraid I can't by that one.  At the time the handshake took
> place, Voldemort has come back to power, the Minister of Magic has 
his
> fingers stuck in his ears going "don't tell me about, I can't hear
> you, la-la-la," and Dumbledore is preparing for war.  In that
> situation, there's no way Snape would've agreed to work with 
Sirius if
> he thought there was any chance in hell that Sirius was guilty. 
> Dumbledore is including Sirius in his inner circle, trusting him 
with
> names and plans and access to Harry and all sorts of other top-
secret
> stuff.  If Sirius is guilty, if he's really the traitorous,
> mass-murdering, Voldemort-supporting scum that Snape used to think
> him, then Dumbledore is making a huge and deadly mistake, a mistake
> that could lose the war for the good guys before it has even 
properly
> started.  Countless lives, including Snape's own, are depending on
> Sirius being absolutely trustworthy. Under such circumstances you
> don't just "agree to disagree."  
> 
> Now, there's certainly room for debate on exactly *when* Snape's
> conversion took place.  But take place it must have, or else there
> would've been no room for handshakes and talk of cooperation.


I have to agree that it is unlikely that Snape still thinks Sirius 
is guilty. Face it, Snape must be about as trusting as the real Mad-
Eye Moody. To me it seems much more likely that Snape puts two and 
two together (as only he can) after hearing Crouch Jr's veritaserum 
testimony. Crouch Jr. says that Voldemort showed up at his house 
with Wormtail. Last year during the Shrieking Shack fiasco Snape 
overheard that Peter Pettigrew went by the nickname ofWormtail. If 
Peter Pettigrew is alive, Sirius could not have murdered him (rather 
obvious, but there you go). And if Peter is with Voldemort, it makes 
it likely that he was the one who betrayed the Potter's. Snape might 
want to believe that Sirius is guilty, but with the stakes being so 
high now he really does not have the luxury. 

I wonder how much of what Snape believes about Harry will be called 
into question. Snape seems to believe Harry's testimony in the 
infirmary. The fact that Voldemort is back is independently 
confirmed by Snape's Dark Mark. Will this make Snape take Harry more 
seriously?

Christi