[HPforGrownups] Re: Do the Death Eaters know Snape is with the Order?

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 68570

rubyxkelly wrote:

> Lord V. arrives at 2 empty spaces during that sene, and comments on one
being a coward and the other having left "forever" who "of course be
killed".
> JKR in some interview (do't have it handy, sorry-maye someone else can
find a link) confirmed during a Q & A that V. was talking about Snape as the
one who left. Also, in yet another interview/Q & A when a child asked if
that meant Snape's death, she said "He's tough" and in fact has pretty much
said he's be around for book seven.

Thank you for pointing that out.  I read the latter interview as well, and
it was because of this I wondered why so many people were speculating that
Snape would die in OotP.  He, Harry, and Voldemort are the three people we
can be guaranteed will be around for book 7.  Now, who will *survive* that
book is another matter...

> I think it safe to say that Snape was NOT at that meeting, even in
disguise, for he could have simply said so to Fudge without bothering with
or needing to show the DeathEatwer mark.
> Do the DeathEaters know Snape is with the Order? Abetter question might be
"Do the DeathEaters KNOW about the Order?" It IS supposed to be secret-look
at the lenghts taken to conceal the meeting place!

The latter question first.  I would suggest that the DE's do know about the
Order.  In the picture Moody shows Harry, we see Peter is a member of the
original Order.  Peter was said to have been passing on information to V for
a year before the Potters died.  We don't know exactly when that picture was
taken, but afterwards we know that the McKinnons and the Prewetts were
killed.  I think a member of the Bones family was in the picture as well.
Either way, they were killed too.  Those three families were said by Hagrid
to be some of the most powerful wizarding families at that time.  They were
all in the Order.  I believe that Peter sold them out, just like he sold out
the Potters.  If the people in Moody's picture were the main people of the
original Order, then we can also better understand how D came to the
conclusion that someone close to the Potters was a traitor.  All this time,
we took it to mean specifically one of the Marauders.  I now think it meant
one of the members of the Order.

Thinking of that picture another second, I also found it interesting that
the four Marauders and Lily weren't all sitting next to each other.  We know
James, Peter, and Lily were sitting by each other, but Sirius and Lupin were
sitting elsewhere.  My copy of OoP is loaned out right now, so I can't
check, but I'm pretty sure that Sirius and Lupin weren't even sitting by
each other.  I don't know how significant that is, but I point it out
nonetheless because I found that somewhat surprising.

Since the DE's knew about the Order last time, I would guess that V, at
least, is pretty sure that at least some of the Order has reformed around D.
With that in mind, he can probably guess the identities of some of them,
depending on how much Peter told him about the members last time.  Sirius,
Lupin, and Moody would probably be on his list of people for sure.  As for
them knowing about Snape being in the Order...that's a tough one.  I'm not
sure how much the DE's actually know about the Order in the first place,
either fourteen years ago or now.  If Snape's role, then and now, is as a
double agent, then V might surmise that Snape is privy to some knowledge and
happenings associated with D.  There are many variables, though, that
prevent us from knowing for sure.  We don't know exactly what Snape has told
V.  We don't know if V believes that D trusts Snape and would therefore
allow him, an ex-DE, into the secret group, or if Snape downplays his
relationship with D and makes it sound like he has only been able to get in
so far.

In short, I believe that V knows that there is an underground group (not
sure if he knows the name of this group) led by D that is dedicated to
resisting V's rise to power.  I believe that V knows the identities of some
of the members, mainly based on information he was given by Peter years ago.
I am unsure if V knows Snape to be a member, believing it to be dependent on
how Snape presents himself to V.

For the record, I am one who believes that Snape is truly working for
Dumbledore and is only pretending to work for Voldemort and those of his
ilk.

I was just about to hit send, and another thought presented itself to me.  V
may or may not have learned of Snape's membership in the Order through his
link with Harry.  I actually believe this to be a minimal consideration
because it's not like Harry spent a lot of time thinking about Snape
actually being in the Order.  He's even forgotten at one crucial point this
fact.  V most likely did pick up that Snape was doing some work for D,
mainly being entrusted to teach Harry Occlumency, but I think the chances
that V learned of Snape being in the Order are small.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova