TBAY: Saboteur!Snape's Next Mission(WAS Assassin!Snape's next Victim)

Tue Nov 19 23:18:41 UTC 2002

No: HPFGUIDX 46822

Charis Julia peered through the steamed up window of the Pink 
Flamingo Bar. Out in the open on Theory Bay the night was cold and 
dark, the freezing winter's wind screeching threateningly as the rain 
pelted down on her in sheets. It was freezing. She rubbed vigorously 
at the pane to clear away the racing raindrops and squinted, trying 
to make out what was going on inside. "Always good to know what 
you're getting yourself into," she muttered sagely to herself. After 
all, the weather outside may be nasty, but things weren't always all 
that pleasant inside the bar either . . . And as Charis made out the 
slumped form of Captain Cindy wobbling slightly on her bar stool, she 
knew dark doings are afoot. . .  

"Brilliant!" she said brightly and walked straight in.

In a corner Captain Cindy was harassing George. She had him trapped 
and was poking a finger against his slim, silk—clad chest.

>Well then, George," Cindy sneered, "Tell me all about *your* oh-so-
>intellectual theory of how and why Snape returns to Voldemort's 
>service at the end of GoF. Go on, I'm listening.

>Or are you saying that Snape doesn't return to 
>spying on Voldemort for Dumbledore as his mission at the end of 
>GoF? You're saying Snape goes out to pick up a pizza, is that it, 
>George?"

Cindy, swaying dangerously, gave George one last jab and then caught 
hold of the counter to steady herself. 

"Boy," said Charis pulling up a stool and glancing at the pile of 
empty cocktail glasses sprawled on the counter "You really have been 
murdering those Black Russians, huh, Cindy?" 

"Been at it all night." 
Marina , who had been preparing herself another cocktail at the other 
side of the bar, sallied up. 
"Cindy claims that Snape's mission at the end of GoF is to bump off 
Karkaroff. She says that he has to. In order to get back in the good 
books of Voldemort. Cindy thinks this theory has Bang. She also 
thinks George ought to find it intimidating." Marina took one long 
draught of her Pina Colada through her straw and glanced towards the 
other end of the bar, where George was helping the swaying Cindy back 
onto her bar stool. "Myself, I'm not too worried about that," she 
went on with a smug smile. 

>"Come on! What's bangy about 
>Karkaroff's death? Nobody cares about him. He's a coward, a self-
>serving turncoat and a general slimeball.

 >If Snape likes Karkaroff, then he's the only one in the 
>entire Potterverese who does. His assassination would be a great 
>plot twist, and an excellent vehicle for exploring Snape's 
>character. But it certainly doesn't bang.

Charis shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
"What?" Marina broke off in mild surprise. "Don't you like it? But 
listen: 

>"If Snape was friends with him, yet kills him, then he is once again 
>going against his desires and naturall inclanations to do what his 
>duty requires him to do for Dumbledore's cause!" he exclaims 
>triumphantly. "Just as he did when he betrayed his other DE friends 
>all those years ago."

"Well. . ." said Charis slowly, and then took a tentative sip from 
her own glass. "Let's just say I'm shaken, but not stirred. It's not 
the cataclysmic inner conflicts and dilemmas with which I have a 
problem. Nor is it the Bang that get's to me -— and I do think this 
theory does have Bang. It's the ideology. I mean, you're asking me to 
believe that Snape—- the new, redeemed, on—the—good—side—Snape would 
really permit himself to go around * assassinating*  people? At the 
request of * Dumbledore*?  And not even in the heat of the battle 
when there is no other solution to be had, but just like that, * in 
cold blood*! No, uh—uh, no way! No * way* would Dumbledore condone 
something like that! I mean, we're talking about the guy who wouldn't 
even use the full range of his powers back at the height of Vold War 
I because that would not show * noblesse*! 
Charis looked defiantly around her. "I'm sorry but no," she finished 
off firmly. "I just can't see him giving in and bending that rule 
now. Not now and not ever. It just doesn't work for me. And. . . and 
that's * that*!" Charis's voice failed as she took in the rigid faces 
around her.

Stony Silence. 

"Uh—oh," thought Charis. "Now I'm in for it. . ." In her corner Cindy 
was fuming. Marina was regarding Charis disdainfully over arched eye—
brows. The first to speak was George, recollecting his duties as 
barman despite the feeling *very* put out. 

"Can I get you anything?" he asked Charis, looking coldly at her 
through his long, curling lashes. 
"Ooh, George, honey," purred Charis with regained confidence. "You 
know there's only one thing I want from you." George narrowed his 
eyes suspiciously. Charis flashed a smile.
"I'll have a Bang On The Beach. Oh, and, George, darling. . . Don't 
be stingy with the vodka." Charis swirled to accost Cindy with an eye—
brow raised in challenge. "I like my Bangs Big."

*        *        *

Cindy wrote:

>"Many people think Snape will 
>return to spying for Voldemort. That doesn't seem likely, though, 
>if you think about it. Dumbledore announced in the Pensieve that 
>Snape was a spy for Dumbledore. And Voldemort was a noxious fume 
>seeping out of the back of Quirrell's turban, so Voldemort ought to 
>know that Snape was hardly helping Quirrell in PS/SS."

You said it, not I!

Aw, come on! Do we really have to stick to this ancient Going—Back—To—
Voldemort scenario for poor old Snape? I mean, surely we can cook 
something up much better than that for him! After all, even the most 
elementary, ordinary, non—obsessive readers will have automatically 
picked up on that one. Even if I could consider it possible that 
Voldemort would ever take back Snape no matter what Snape did to 
prove his loyalty (which I don't), I still wouldn't like this as a 
plot twist. It's way less than simple. It's obvious. 

But, ah,! you say. Think of the way Snape blanched before he left the 
hospital wing!  Think of the way his eyes glittered! Clearly he is 
task must be of a most perilous, unsettling and (preferably) gruesome 
nature. . . Clearly Voldemort must be involved.! 

You think so? Really?

`Cos, me, I'm not so sure about that at all. Surely Voldemort isn't 
the gravest danger the whole wizarding world has to offer! Harry at 
any rate doesn't seem to think so. Not in the middle of PoA at 
least. . . 

Now let me ask you again. Are you * sure* you can't think of anything 
worse than the Dark Lord?  Something perhaps that would strike fear 
into the souls of even the bravest wizards to be found? Wizards like, 
oh, I don't know. . . Hagrid, maybe?  

But let's put that issue to a side for a moment. Let us just examine 
instead the text of "The Parting of the Ways" more closely a minute. 
I-- Whoa, wait! Hang on a minute! Where are you all heading off to? 
Come back, come back I say! Why does everybody always rush off to the 
part with Snape's sweeping exit at the end whenever this subject is 
brought up? That's no good. It doesn't tell us a thing except the 
obvious information that we have all digested long ago: Snape has 
something he must do. Snape is nervous at the thought of what he must 
do. But Snape is brave and pursues his duty nevertheless. Dumbledore 
is very worried. Minutes tick by. So, yes, yes, clearly whatever it 
is that Snape has set out to do is very dangerous and daring. And 
yes, yes, bravo Snape. Very good. Hurrah. But what * is* this mission?

Now, here's what I say: How about we just flick back a few pages.? 
To, errr. . . da—da, da—dum. . . Ah—ha ! Here: 

Fudge is still in the room. Dumbledore is having it out with Fudge 
and Fudge is refusing point blank to see beyond the end of his nose. 
Dumbledore regardless starts off advising Fudge on the measures he 
must take. 

"Voldemort has returned" replied Dumbledore. "If you accept this 
straight away and take the necessary measures, we may still be able 
to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove 
Azkaban from the hands of the Dementors."

<skip about half a page>

"The next step you must take—and immediately," Dumbledore 
continued, "is to send envoys to the Giants."

"Now," says Charis glancing earnestly about her. "I think we can 
almost take it as a given that, after Fudge's persistence in his 
disbelieving attitude and his departure, Dumbledore does indeed 
proceed to settle the second of these affairs of his own accord. At 
least that is always what I have assumed Hagrid and Madame Maxime 
where sent off to do. If that is so, I don't think it would be a long 
stretch to suggest that he might have done something about that 
first, more urgent issue either. And in that case, wouldn't it be 
logical to suppose that, seeing as he was so stringent in his advise 
that Fudge take on that problem first, he himself would grapple with 
it before the other also? Of course Dumbledore turns to the Giant 
issue almost at once. There are but a very few other things he deals 
with first. But, oh, and fancy that! One of them is sending Snape 
off! How odd!

*        *        *

As Charis turns to face her listeners there is a mad glint in her 
eyes.

"Oh," she whispers softly. "Oh, just think of it. . . Just think of 
all the things that would resurface in the mind of the repented Death 
Eater Snape were he ever to be trapped by a Dementor! The pain, the 
anguish, the racking guilt and regret! What memories of past crimes 
pushed aside, out of recollection for 14 long years would force 
themselves back into vivid, relentless recognition! Re—played again 
and again and again. . . wide screen, Dolby Digital, the works. . . 
and all the while Snape on the ground, writhing, * screaming* in 
blind terror! Ohhh. . . 

Charis gives a slight shudder and wraps herself up tighter in her 
gleaming FEATHERBOAS. 

"And that's not all either. Oh no! there's Bang too!" Charis turns to 
Cindy, who's eyes are beginning to take the slightly glazed 
expression of newfound delight. "Plenty of Bang! If Snape is set in 
charge of kicking the Dementors out of Azkaban (or at least removing 
the prisoners from their influence) there would be nothing but Bang! 
I mean, just imagine the uproar on a political level! Dumbledore 
brought up against Fudge on a public, open forum! The petrified 
wizarding citizens! When Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban that was 
Big. But this, this is going to be Huge!"

"And of course let us not forget the possibility that Snape might get 
caught-- by the Ministry, by Voldemort? The last one at least would 
simply * love* to get his hands on severus Snape, I'm sure" 

"And," Charis finishes off addressing George this time. "If you like 
the idea of having Snape face simply one old comrade—in—arms in order 
to kill him, how would you find the thought of having him come face 
to face with his old * schoolfriends* in order to be, in effect, 
their *jailer *?

Well, it's a thought at least.

Charis Julia. (who has lent her copy of GoF to a friend and therefore 
had to check all the Canon used in this post in the local bookstore. 
Please forgive any mistakes!)

*            *            *

Hypothetic Alley:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/files/Admin%
20Files/hypotheticalley.htm

Inish Alley:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/database?
method=reportRows&tbl=13