The Shrieking Shack-did Snape have ulterior motives?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 85991

   
> >Laura, wondering who Snape would have gone after first if he had 
> >been in the MoM that night-Sirius or Bellatrix?<


Snape told Sirius to stay at Grimmauld Place so he wouldn't be in the
battle. As a Member of the Order, he placed duty before a personal
antagonism, and IMHO he would have done the same thing in the MoM
(where he couldn't go without blowing his cover). To do otherwise
would be to betray Dumbledore's trust and risk losing not only his
place in the Order but his position at Hogwarts, which would put him
at the nonexistent mercy of Voldemort, who wants him dead.

I'm not sure whether Snape has any personal grudge against Bellatrix.
She'd probably be a former friend/protector like Lucius (one of the
gang of older Slytherins Severus ran with till they graduated and left
him behind), but knowing what she has since become (the torture of the
Longbottoms, etc.), he would probably want nothing to do with her.

But (setting aside the ESE!Lupin theory), the members of the Order
don't kill or use the unforgiveable curses, which would make them as
bad as their enemies. So if he "went after" Bellatrix, it would be
with a defensive spell ("Stupefy" or a DADA spell we haven't learned
yet). Who better than Snape to put out Bellatrix's fire without
killing her? And what reason would he have to "go after" Sirius with a
defensive spell?

Carol, who wishes that Snape and Sirius had been able to fight on the
same side before Sirius died but understands why it could not have
happened