Snape and the Potters

[Carol Bainbridge]

No: HPFGUIDX 47054

Here's another thought about Snape.  It's born from idle thinking about 
Harry's dream in PS/SS, the one he had after the feast following the 
sorting ceremony.  He was dreaming that he was wearing Quirrel's turban, 
which was telling him to transfer into Slytherin and which Harry replied he 
didn't want to be there.  He was struggling to get the turban off and then 
saw Malfoy laughing at him, "...then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed 
teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold -- there was a burst of 
green light and Harry woke...."

Now I realize that this is a dream, but on rereading it, I wondered if it 
might hold some significance, and then my imagination took over.    We know 
he remembers a green light.  Then we know from his experiences with the 
dementors in PoA that he heard a high-pitched laugh when his mother was 
being killed.  I started to wonder if Harry's dream is actually something 
of a memory.  And if it is a memory, might it be possible that Lucius 
Malfoy was there as well?  Draco looks like his father -- at least the have 
the same pointy nose -- and his father 11 years earlier would certainly 
look even more like the younger Draco.  Might Snape also have been 
there?  I know the movie doesn't show the scene this way, but that's the 
movie.  The book, as far as I know, does not specify that Voldemort was 
alone when he went to kill the Potters.

I started thinking that maybe Snape ended up there actually to save the 
Potters while still under cover as a DE.  Perhaps he knew that Voldemort 
was going to get the Potters that night, and he had to go to save 
James.  After all, James had saved Snape and Snape was therefore under his 
debt.  Lucius might have been there just because he's evil and enjoys 
torture and killing.  At the end of GoF, Voldemort does make the comment to 
Lucius about his being ready to once again take the lead in a bit of Muggle 
torture.  We know he dislikes Muggles and mudbloods, so it's not unlikely 
that he would like to kill Lilly or at least be in on it.  Or it might be 
something else.

Anyway, Snape in his attempt to save the Potters would have to blow his 
cover and put himself at great personal risk to do so.  Once Voldemort 
failed in his attempt to kill Harry, turned into Vapormort and slithered 
away, Lucius and Snape would have to come up with some plan to explain 
their involvement as DE's.  Now if Snape is/was a spy, he could not tell 
Lucius that he was a spy, so the two of them may have concocted the story 
that they were both under the imperious curse.  We know that was Lucius' 
excuse, but we never hear about Snape (that I can think of).  Okay, so the 
Potters are dead, Voldemort is as good as gone for the moment, what will 
they do?  I can imagine them debating a number of possibilities and finally 
deciding on the imperious excuse with each one vouching for the other.

I was thinking that this scenario could help explain that huge gap in time 
between the time Voldemort kills Harry's parents and the time Hagrid brings 
Harry to the Dursley's.  We don't really know where Dumbledore was at this 
time either.  Is it possible that he was with Snape?  With Snape filling 
him in on what happened?  I think it's quite clear that Dumbledore has 
faith in Snape, but doesn't think much of Lucius Malfoy.  It may be after 
Snape fills Dumbledore in that DD sends Hagrid to fetch Harry and take him 
to the Dursley's.  Snape couldn't take Harry before because he had to keep 
up the DE front before Lucius.  This doesn't explain how he could leave a 
one year old alone for several hours, unless he somehow sneaked in a 
protection charm.  Maybe he did after Lucius took off for home.  Anyway, it 
seems like it was quite a while before anyone knew what had 
happened.  Serius doesn't arrive for quite a while either, and sees Hagrid 
there.

The scenario does tie up some loose ends even if it doesn't explain how 
Harry was left alone, possibly unprotected for so long.  I think it helps 
explain why DD trusts Snape so much.  It also explains the time gap between 
the killing of the Potters and the delivery of Harry.  In addition, it 
helps explain why Hagrid seems to know something about Snape that he won't 
tell Harry (that Snape was at the Potters' house when they died).  When 
Harry goes to visit Hagrid early on in PS/SS, he tries to tell Hagrid that 
Snape hates him.  Hagrid won't listen.  He says, "Rubbish...why should 
he?"  And then Harry "...couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite 
meet his eyes when he said that."  The chapter (8) ends with this sentence: 
"And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?"

This scenario also helps explain why Snape is so nice to Draco.  As far as 
Lucius knows, Snape is still really a supporter of Voldemort.  Snape can't 
very well let on now.  Lucius has been cleared and is quite powerful.  It 
wouldn't do for Snape to try to say anything against him.  Snape also knows 
that Lucius is still a supporter of the "dark side," whether LV is around 
or not.  It is much more to his advantage to keep quiet.  Dumbledore nows 
the truth.  Finally, the scenario helps explain the end of GoF.  Since 
Lucius thinks that Snape is still a secret supporter of Voldemort, Snape 
could go back to Voldemort.  It is in Lucius' interest to back him up 
because he had made a pact with Snape to pretend they were under the 
imperious curse.  What would he dare say against Snape?  Even so, 
re-entering Voldemort's service would be dangerous.

Okay, I don't have all the bugs worked out of this theory.  For instance, 
if everyone knows Snape was a spy, then how does he go back?  All I can say 
for that is that he would have to hope that Lucius would back him up and 
say that Snape was just making people think he was a spy for DD so that he 
could spy on DD.  I think Voldemort was afraid of DD and that could be a 
reasonable excuse, especially since virtually all the DE's renounced 
Voldemort at one point or another.

Anyone see more bugs in the theory?  Any way of working them out?

Carol Bainbridge
(kaityf at jorsm.com)

http://www.lcag.org