Snape as past/future spy

[Susan Atherton]

No: HPFGUIDX 50200

"isiscolo wrote:
Why, oh why, does just about everyone assume that Snape *will
be* a spy in later books?  I mean, is there some indication
of this (other than the mysterious task mentioned at the end
of GoF), or has JKR dropped hints?
I read Lord V's "one who has left me forever" comment to mean
that he *knows* that Snape is no longer a DE.  I believe that
Snape *was* a spy in the past, in between being active DE and
being Hogwarts teacher (or at least during beginning of his
tenure.  I can't see Snape as a *future* spy, because I believe
that Voldemort is fully aware of where his loyalty lies."

Me:
I've always thought that myself. When I first read GoF, I immediately assumed that "The one who is too cowardly to return" is Karkaroff, who is a wuss and a KNOWN DE; that "The one who has left me forever" is Snape, who is ALSO a known DE and has indeed left V forever (is it just me or are you wetting yourself wondering what Snape did with his first chance?); and "My most faithful DE who has already re-entered my service" is Barty Jr, who is again, a KNOWN DE. I really don't understand why everyone tries to bring everyone from Ludo Bagman to Amos Diggory into it, because you already have enough people who were definitely DE's, and presumably worth a mention - the traitorous Karkaroff, the turncoat Snape, and the faithful Crouch - to fill the criteria. Anyway, I digress - not sure where that came from at all :)

As I was saying, I believe LV does indeed know that Snape is perma-good ~waves hi to all the LOLLIPOPS shippers~ and that Snape IS in fact perma-good. And the obvious thing from one who read that bit alone (the whole "You know what I must ask of you" bit) knowing Snape's background would immediately assume, as I did, that Snape is off to spy.

And then I remembered I was reading a book written by Joanne Rowling.

When was the last time JKR dropped an obvious hint that turned out to be true? When was the last time ANY of us guessed the mystery solution before we were told? I certainly didn't guess about QuirrelMort, about RiddleMort, about Sirius' innocence, or about Fake!Moody right up to where Harry finds out, and looking back there were PLENTY of clues about it all. She concentrates on red herrings and glosses over the real clues with such skill that even by GoF, when I'd realised all the books end in mysteries as much as anything else and was actively looking for clues, I didn't realise about Moody until Harry's in his office, about half a page before it was confirmed (and me, ME, a long-time Agatha Christie-ite. Shoddy workmanship on my part, I think :) )

So as it stands, I don't have the slightest clue what Snape's been doing all summer, but like the way that Evil!Dumbledore from the gleam is just a bit too obvious, a bit too easy to figure out, I really don't see Snape as a spy.

Mind you, I didn't see Quirrel as the two-faced type, so what do I know?!

Susan
who is sighing because she'd really been hoping for a late April release on OotP
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Despite constant warnings, you never meet anyone who's had their arm broken by a swan.
Men are very like slinkys; a bit pointless but fun to watch fall down stairs.


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