Three Missing Death Eaters (WAS: don't know if this has been discussed...)

Wed Feb 26 02:21:41 UTC 2003

No: HPFGUIDX 52849

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tom Wall <thomasmwall at y...>" > 
Snuffles pointed out:
> In GoF Voldemort states,
> "And here we have six missing 
> Death Eaters.... three dead in 
> my service. 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."
> - GoF paperback edition, pg. 651
> 
> To which Tom  replied:
> This has been driving me bonkers, 
> this one quote, all by itself. 

And I would like to add ME TOO!
(And now I'll justify that--so don't jump on me quite yet!)
I can't STAND this quote. It drives me absolutely *nuts* every 
blessed time I've read it. It's just too obvious. We've been led down 
this route too many times--especially with poor Snape. I've read GoF 
3 times I think now and EVERY time I read it I STILL think V. is 
referring to Snape when he talks about his loyal servant being at 
Hogwarts. The excellent DoubleAgent!Snape theory certainly allows for 
the possibility that V. can honestly see Snape as a loyal servant at 
the same time Dumbledore feels the same way about him. It could also 
explain why V. wouldn't mention his presence at the circle in the 
graveyard. If he was there, it would most likely not be prudent that 
the other DEs know that. I speculate that many, maybe all of them 
consider Snape a traitor to V. His obvious presence might not have 
gone over very well. You mention of Snape's conspicuous absence 
during the Third Task. I also wonder where he was and what was he up 
to during all the chaos. (I thought that was just me, I'm *always* 
wondering where Snape is and what he's up to.)
Barty Crouch Jr. is just too convenient. It's too neat a package.

Ok, so then I'm driving down the road, minding my own business, not 
thinking Potter AT ALL, with the stereo up REAL LOUD when Pink Floyd 
screams at me: "Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war for a lead 
role in a cage?" And my brain does one of those psychodelic double 
takes and gloms onto Professor Trelawny's (sorry this isn't going to 
be a perfect quote) comment about that "faithful servant" (there's 
that term again) being "chained these twelve years." So far we've 
speculated Black in Azkaban and Pettigrew in his Rat form for this 
topic. Has anyone suggested that Snape may be the one being referred 
to here? If V. still sees him as a faithful servant his being holed 
up with the enemy for 12 years could be seen as being chained. I know 
it's a stretch.

Now, I Truly Madly Deeply want the common reading of this quote to be 
true. A adore Snape and I *really want* Severus to be the "One who 
has left me forever" and who "will be killed, of course." Simply 
because I can not imagine JK allowing anything Voldemort says with 
such cold certainty to actually happen. IF those words do, in fact, 
refer to Severus Snape, I believe Rowling saved his life in writing 
them.

Melpomene, who'll stop rambling now, I promise