[HPforGrownups] OoP: What Snape is really doing out there...

[Wendy St John]

No: HPFGUIDX 64736


Darrin wrote:

>Theory: 

>There is another DE out there who wants to switch sides, and Snape is the 
>one trying to bring him in from the cold. He can still find out what
V-Mort is 
>telling the DEs, through this person and really, only Snape can talk this 
>person off the fence, because he knows exactly what the guy, or gal is
going 
>through.

>Any ideas on who it could be?

Now me (Wendy):

On the surface, I like your theory. I have never really been satisfied with
the idea of Snape returning to Voldemort as Dumbledore's spy. Not that I
don't think Snape could pull it off (I do), but because it just seems a
bit, well, predictable. But one thing I noticed with OoP is that lots of
things happened in this book which I thought were "predictable" - well, at
least someone here on the list had predicted them at one point or another
;-). And, even so, I really enjoyed the book and I'm not dissatisfied with
where it seems to be going. So predictable doesn't necessary equal "bad."
But I'm getting a bit off the subject here . . . 

What troubles me is the whole "Snape is Lucius Malfoy's lapdog" thing.
Throughout the series we've seen Snape "favour" the Slytherins, Draco in
particular (actually, I think he's really *only* favoured Draco, and not
the others). Some people have taken that as a sign that Snape's really
evil, some have thought he was just kissing up to the Malfoy's to keep on
Lucius' good side should he need to return to spy for Voldie. It seems to
me that OoP points to it being the latter, not the former. We now know that
Snape is a member of the Order, and one of the things Sirius uses to goad
Snape is that he's "Lucius' lap dog." So Snape is spending lots of time
with Lucius, and apparently not enjoying it. If Snape hasn't returned to DE
status as a spy, but is trying to "recruit" another Death Eater back to the
fold, I don't understand why there's a need to kiss up to Lucius. I doubt
that Lucius is the DE who wants to switch sides (although it's not
unfathomable, just unlikely in my mind). And if Snape's cover is blown with
Voldemort, and Lucius is still a faithful DE, I would think Snape would
steer as clear from Lucius as possible. I suppose there's a middle ground
here - Snape hasn't returned to be a spy, but Voldemort still isn't certain
whether or not he'sa traitor. It just doesn't seem to be a good idea for
Snape to be spending enough time with FaithfulDeathEater!Lucius to make it
worthy of a mention by Sirius unless Snape is still in good with Voldemort.

Okay. Having said that, if your theory IS right, who do I think it would
be? My vote is for the notably absent Mr. Lestrange. He broke out of
Azkaban (didn't he? I can't seem to find the passage in the book where it
gives the names and crimes of all the escapees), and I don't remember a
single mention of him afterward. Add that to the fact that his wife is now
pretty much the poster girl for Fanatical Death Eater, not to mention being
on nickname terms with Voldie (Bella, indeed!). I can think of lots of
reasons that Mr. Lestrange (argh! I've forgotten his first name, too - I
know it was mentioned) would be interested in leaving the Death Eaters
behind:  14 years in Azkaban; married to a lunatic who may be much closer
to Voldemort than Mr. LeStrange would prefer; the Death Eater robes just
aren't his colour and make his skin look all pasty. And now faithful
readers can't even remember his name. If he ends up leaving Voldie, we'd
remember his name for SURE! 

Yep - it'd be Mr. Lestrange.

Cheers! 

Wendy