Voldemort must know about Snape

[Michele Childs]

No: HPFGUIDX 73820

ghinghapuss <rredordead at aol.com> wrote:
> I believe Voldemort has to know about Snape and is choosing to keep that information to himself for the present...in the end of GoF (Death Eaters chapter) Voldemort looks at the empty spaces in his circle and says: "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 servent, and who has already reentered my service." The first, the coward, is Karkaroff. The second, the traitor, is Snape The third, the loyalist, is Barty Crouch Jr. 

owlery2003:
> I think you're dead-on there. It's been discussed at length, but it seems JKR was very clear on this linkage given the character development to that point. Makes you wonder how Snape could be an infiltrator where he had browbeat Quirrelmort. He and DD have to know that Voldy knows . . . this is the big springboard for the next speculation - what is Snape doing behind the scenes? >>>

  
It is simple for Snape.  Snape is called Lucius Malfoy's "lapdog" by Sirius in the OoP, page 520 (American Edition, Chapter 24, 1/3 of the page down)  I have assumed from the page that Snape is in contact with Lucius Malfoy.  Lucius also spotted Sirius at the train station.  This leads me to think Sirius wanted to be seen:  

"Speaking of dogs," said Snape softly, "did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognized you last time you risked a little jaunt outside?  Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform... gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn't it?"

Could Sirius have wanted to die?  Could he have wanted suicide by being a hero?  The passage suggests so.  It also ties Lucius with Snape.  Snape had probably not reported directly to Voldemort.  It was probably only through Lucius.  Remember in GoF when LV said that Jorkins was not useful to him any longer because her brain was so addled.  He killed her after she was no longer of any use to him.  I believe that LV kept Snape alive because he is still useful.  Voldemort knows about Snape but they are both biding their time until they are of no use to each other any longer.
   
"Michele Childs"