Snape and Redemption (was: JKR's best interview)

[princesspeaette]

No: HPFGUIDX 75805

Shirley:

> First, do we really *know* that it's Snape that LV is talking about 
> in the circle of DEs toward the end of Book 4?  I know that I 
figured 
> that it was Snape who was lost forever (or however he worded it) as 
a 
> Death Eater, but has that ever been confirmed?
> 
{snipped}

It's never confirmed in the manner "Yup, Snape's the one who's not 
coming back."  But it is implied in such a way, I think of it as 
confirmed.  LV says: 

Quote:
"One too cowardly to return...he will pay.  One, who I believe has 
left me forever...he will be killed of course...and one who remains 
my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service.

He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it is through his 
efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight." (GoF)

The one who is too cowardly to return is obviously Karkaroff, he had 
already fled Hogwarts by the time Harry got back from the graveyard.  
Crouch Jr. must be the loyal servant, since he admits that he 
bewitched the portkey to take Harry to Voldemort.  That leaves Snape 
as the one who is gone forever, unless it's someone we've never heard 
of, which is very unlikely.  And in that scenario, Voldemort would 
have made no reference at all to Snape, which is pretty unbelievable, 
given that he told us how everyone else who wasn't there, came to be 
missing.

So even if I had had a few doubts in the past about Snape's loyalties 
(despite Dumbledore's constant affirmations of faith in him) LV 
believing he had lost Snape as a DE convinced me.


~Margaret