Clues in GoF (WAS: Clues in CoS)

[aesob <aesob@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52972

I'm also rereading GoF right now, mining for tidbits...

> What other Malfoy secrets does Dobby know (beyond the
> Chamber beneath the floor)?  Under what circumstances
> would Dobby be likely to share these secrets?  Dobby
> has already wielded House Elf magic against Lucius in
> order to protect Harry.  Dobby's in a position to come
> to Harry's rescue / defense in future books -- either
> by magic or with secrets.

Although I originally thought that JKR introduced Dobby solely as comic relief 
(anyone else originally think that?), but after GoF, I accept that Dobby will 
continue to play an important role as protector to Harry as he's done in CoS & 
GoF (with perhaps some comic side-effects by being overly helpful, as we've 
also seen)...

> 3) While Harry's foot is stuck in the trick stair,
> Crouch!Moody says to Snape (and I don't have the exact
> quote with me), "After all, you have Harry Potter's
> best interests at heart."  Hmmm...What does
> Crouch!Moody know at this point about Snape's true
> loyalties?  Or is JKR giving *us* a clue about Snape? 

I left off last night after Harry was in the Penseive, discovering that Snape was, 
in fact, a DE, and asks Dumbledore something to the effect of "How can you 
trust Snape?" (especially after D vouches for Snape at Karkaroff's trial) To 
which D responds, "That's a matter between Snape and myself.." Dumbledore 
truly trusts Snape...the question then becomes, why? 

This is something that JKR has to reveal eventually. If she hasn't written this 
coversation between D & S, she's certainly decided what their understanding 
is and it is key to the storyline and Snape's character...why he acts they way 
he does toward Harry, protecting him privately, yet harassing him publicly.

I truly do believe that Snape is trustworthy, in spite of the fact that he was a 
DE, in spite of the fact that he always seems out to get Harry, he is also one of 
his biggest protectors. Dumbledore trusts him, and although D sometimes 
gets the wool pulled over his eyes, there must be a very deep reason why he 
can admit Snape to teach at Hogwarts without worrying that he is actually still 
in league with Voldemort.

I think that many readers will be surprised in the end when Snape turns out to 
be not only a good guy, but a hero. JKR is teasing us, trying to fool us into 
hating this character, why? So she can pull a surprise on us in the end.

> So there you are.  I hadn't seen any of these
> discussed here before, and would be interested in
> other people's take on them!  At this point, we're
> near the 100-day-countdown to OotP -- I'm hungry for
> any clues I can get! :)

Oh, yeah...I so cannot wait.

"Aesob"