Snape as past/future spy WAS Re: Question about Snape and Quirrell

[firekat482 <firekat482@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49707

bboy_mn wrote:

 So, Snape was not acting against Voldemort. He was not conciously
 choosing Dumbledore over Voldemort. He was simply guarding a very
 dangerous magical artifact from a very dangerous wizard like Quirrel.
 
 Of course, it may mean enduring the Cruciatus Curse a few times as
 penance, but I doubt that Voldie will kill him for that one 
 transgression. just a few thoughts.

Now me:
 
Hmmm...What about if we look at this from a different angle? You say 
Snape was not conciously choosing Dumbledore over Voldemort - that 
in  effect, it would be possible for him to go back to Voldemort 
because he could always claim that he had no idea that Quirrel was 
doing Voldie's dirty work. 

Earlier you also said that within the Death Eater "community" no DE 
would believe Snape's excuse of spying anymore than they would 
believe Malfoy's excuse of Imperius. Can we safely assume that 
Voldemort can be included in that group? That he wouldn't believe 
those excuses either?
 
Because if we can, it brings up an interesting question (at least 
for me - maybe this has already been discussed. Please forgive me if 
it has). If Voldemort believes Snape's excuse to be false, then why 
doesn't he ever bring Snape into his confidence? I mean, aren't two 
heads better than one? Wouldn't it have made sense for him to find 
another ally within Hogwarts aside from Quirrel?
 
Snape was constantly getting in Quirrel/Voldemort's way in Harry's 
first year. Why didn't Quirrel pull him (Snape) off into an empty 
room sometime, yank off his turban, and turn around so Voldie could 
tell Snape to be a good DE and knock it off?
 
Basically, my question is this: How can Snape (and Dumbledore, for 
that matter) feel confident that Voldemort will accept Snape into 
the fold again, when he didn't even seek Snape's help while looking 
for the S/P Stone - at a time when he was very weak and needed all 
the help he could get?
 
IMHO, I don't think Snape can go back and be completly accepted. At 
the very least, Voldemort *has* to have his suspicions about 
Snape's loyalty. Personally, I feel strongly that Voldemort knows 
exactly where Snape stands, and any attempt by Snape to return would 
mean certain death after a very long torture session. 
 
If Snape *does* return as a spy in the following three books, then 
JKR is going to have to do a lot of explaining (at some point in 
the last books) about how exactly that was possible. For me there are 
just to many ways that Voldemort could know that truth about 
Snape's loyalty. But that's getting totally off track. Anyone care to 
take a shot at the above question? I'd love to hear more theories. 
Any excuse to talk about my beloved Potions Master, don't you know. ;)
 
~Jean, who hopes she did this right, as it is only her second time 
posting to this group