Snape DE/spy status (WAS Snape and Redemption)

[Shirley]

No: HPFGUIDX 76127

digger <altered.earth at n...> wrote:
> This Snape DE status is really bugging me.
> If we take it that Snape is the one "who has left me forever"
> Voldemort's statement that "he will be killed" seems to imply 
that Snape should be on all DE's hit list.
> 
> > 
> > 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.
> 
> How can Snape be the one who has left him forever, and "will be 
killed" and at the same time be *Lucius Malfoy's lapdog*? 
{{snip}} >>>>


me (shirley):  *Excellent* question!!  I am not going to be much 
help, I'm afraid, as I am pasting a large part of my post from last 
week on this very thread, so I'm just adding to the confusion....

[last week's post 75667, (I think):
Three thoughts/questions (and my apologies if these have been covered 
in previous posts; I only joined about a week ago):

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?

Second, and this may be trickier, since Snape was the only one who 
suspected Quirrel of being in league with LV in Book 1, is that how 
LV knows that Snape is no longer with him (LV)? Does he know it 
because he was sitting (for lack of a better way to word it) on the 
back of Quirrel's head the whole time, listening to Snape trying to 
prevent Quirrel from getting to the stone?

Third, I always thought that Snape, the spy, was still showing up at 
LV's lair/hideout as himself - still a loyal DE - and using 
Occlumency to keep LV from seeing that he was a spy. However, (this 
thought struck me as I was typing the second point above) if LV knows 
that Snape is no longer on his side, then is Snape spying in another 
form (Animagus, invisibility cloak, something??), and what form is 
it? Whoa, I've just boggled my own mind! ;-) Does anyone have 
thoughts on this? -end last week's post- ]

Shirley today (8-8-03):
So, how can Snape possibly be the DE that LV referred to at the end 
of GoF if he's still alive and kicking, as well as spying?  Does LV 
know, in fact, that Snape isn't loyal to him after the Quirrel 
experiences?  In what manner is Snape spying; I'm not sure he *can* 
be a double-agent at this point?  Ooooh, this hurts my head!

Shirley