TimeTurner!Snape in the graveyard

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 46960

The more I think of it, the more sense Theresnothingtoit's theory of 
TimeTurner!Snape having actually been at the graveyard scene makes. 

Within a 24-hour period at the end of PoA Dumbledore is handed the news of 
Trelawney's second prediction, the eye-witness evidence of Peter Pettigrew's 
betrayal and Sirius's innocence, Pettigrew's escape, the whole time turning 
rescue of Sirius and Buckbeak, and Hermione returns the Time Turner to 
Professor McGonagall. (or announced that she inteded to.) At this specific 
point Snape is on a tear and not likely to listen to reason until he cools 
down. Which he will probably do by the time the students leave for summer 
break. 

I can see Dumbledore having a major strategy session with his most trusted 
Deputies as soon as the Hogwarts Express leaves the station and making sure 
that they are now all on the same page. 

Dumbledore was watching for (and seeing) signs of Voldemort's impending 
return since midsummer.  They KNOW that if he makes it back he will call his 
followers. Including Snape, and it is as much as his life is worth not to 
respond. If Snape is going to be able to get any kind of information from 
inside the DE organization he is going to have to live a double life in the 
sense that he will sometimes need to be in two places at the same time. Snape 
has figured out the Time Turner by the time of this strategy session. He may 
not be quit as brilliant as fanon has him, but even canon Snape is stated as 
being no fool, and i seriously doubt that Hermione is the first student who 
has ever been authorized to use a Time Turner.

When Harry and Cedric disapear from the maze they know this is it. They check 
the time and take the risk that some kind of information will get through 
before Snape is called. 

About an hour later the call comes through and they know that Voldemort has 
returned. They are probably making their last minute contingency plans when 
Harry suddenly returns and they decide to get his report before Snape goes 
into the situation blindly. The unmasking of Crouch Jr delays things further, 
but the information uncovered is important enough to take the risk. This 
segues into the face-off with Fudge. All in all it is close to four hours 
after the inital disapearance from the maze before things settle down to the 
point that Snape is finally able to deploy his TimeTurner and make his 
appearance, and he goes in with advance notice of what will happen up to 
Potter's escape from the graveyard. 

He sets the Time Turner to the point where Harry and Cedric disapeared from 
the maze, collects his DE robe and mask and leaves the grounds (while his 
earlier self is publically at the Quidditch pitch) and walks to a point 
outside the bounds, changes into his rig and awaits the call. He takes care 
not to speak or call attention to himself while Potter is still present at 
the gathering and after Potter's escape takes steps to disassociate himself 
with his actions against QuirrelMort, claiming that if the Dark Lord had only 
identified himself, he would have assisted him instead, and boasts of being 
in Dumbledore's confidence, offering to spy on him, now that Pettigrew's 
cover is blown.

(It is just barely possible that Snape took the place in the circle of 
someone he knew to be missing and did not identify himself until after 
Harry's escape. Consequently, even if Voldemort WAS refering to Snape as the 
one who got away, the statement might have been modified once Snape revealeed 
himself as "loyal.")

In any event, Snape was back before morning with a report of what had gone 
down after Harry escaped with the cup and Cedric's body. 

The strange look that Snape gave Harry at the leaving feast is due to the 
fact that Snape HAD actually been present at the graveyard meeting and -- for 
the first time in the series -- was both present and consious and able to 
watch Harry in action under fire. He heard the boy's report. He saw what had 
actually happened. Now he has to reevaluate some of his oppinions about the 
boy. This may be the first time that Snape has actually had to face up to the 
notion that Harry is NOT James.

Works for me, anyway.

-JOdel