Snape Poisioning the Longbottoms? Was: Is Agnes Snape's Mother?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 86373

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ghinghapuss" <rredordead at a...>
wrote:
> Carol wrote:
> > As for Snape keeping the Longbottoms insane, how is he going to 
> manage that when he's at Hogwarts nine months out of the year? 
> Assuming that they would have recovered on their own if not for 
> outside interference, someone who has easier and more frequent access 
> to the Longbottoms must be responsible. 
> 
> 
> Now me:
> It wouldn't be hard at all. A boarding school teacher has time off 
> every week just like every other employed person.  It seems to me 
> very easy for a wizard to jump back and forth from Hogsmead to St. 
> Mungos in a matter of seconds.  I'm still not convinced of this 
> theory yet but I find it very interesting.
> 
> Mandy

I don't see any evidence for time off every week. Snape never leaves
Hogwarts during weekends or even during the Christmas holiday until
OoP. (JKR says that the teachers leave Hogwarts during the summer, but
that's only three months out of the year.) Think about all the duties
and concerns Snape has at Hogwarts, not least keeping an eye on the
Trio. Aside from the fact that I think Snape merits Dumbledore's
trust, it's just too much of a stretch to imagine him going out of the
way to drug Neville's parents. 

It's very unlikely that aurors are in any way responsible for his
mother's condition (if she is his mother). It's much more likely that
a Death Eater cast that nasty spell, which would provide him not only
with a reason to leave the DEs (without their knowing that he had
switched his allegiance) and seek revenge against them in his own time
and his own way.

Carol