Theory on Snape - MASSIVE

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 109256

For those who asked, here it is. I apologise for the length and in advance to the ESE!Snape fans, but don't flame me until you read the last couple of sentences. ;-) My theory is that Snape is on the side of good and has never changed sides.  Here is why:

"Snape has been cleared by this council,' said Crouch coldly.  "He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore."
"No!' shouted Karkaroff, straining at the chains which bound him to the chair. 'I assure you! Severus Snape is a Death Eater!"  Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. "I have given evidence already on this matter, ' he said calmly. 'Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater.  However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk.  He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."

Snape is on the side of good.  He is a "superb Occlumens."  He can "shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so can utter falsehoods in his [LV's] presence without detection."

DD knows Snape from when he was a student at Hogwarts.  He knows Snape is on the side of good (not all Slytherins turn in to Dark Wizards even if they do prefer the Dark Arts).  They are fighting LV together after Snape's graduation. DD suggests to Snape that the Order/side of good needs a really good spy in the inner circle of LV/DEs.  DD knows Snape is going to have to 'participate' in the DE's activities or risk being found out; Snape knows it, too.  Snape 'at great personal risk' takes the job.  He is in, or gets in, with Malfoy (they would have been at Hogwarts together, though about five years apart, they were both Slytherins) and suggests he wants to join the Death Eaters.  His skill at Occlumency allows him to convince LV that his desire is to join the Dark Side and DD is a fool to fight him.  Snape gets the tattoo. 

LV uses Snape to spy on DD.  He's the perfect 'in'; Snape and DD are already chums.  What truth or fiction Snape is feeding LV/DEs about DD we don't know (probably what DD tells him to, enough to keep LV from being suspicious).  Snape suggests to LV that he appear to 'rejoin' the Order/side of good to continue to spy on DD from a better vantage point, a teaching job at Hogwarts, perhaps.  LV accepts the plan....ohhh, I'm going to get the goods on DD!!  Snape's not dead, "Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort.  It's a lifetime of service or death" (OotP) because the DEs and LV, until his vapourizing, believed Snape was spying for them. (Still believes it now that LV's rebirthed himself if you belive Snape is *the next man*: "Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space -- large enough for two people -- which separated Malfoy *and the next man*.")

DD can genuinely state (he's not testifying here) that:
"Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater," because he was, at DD's own request, and LV's acceptance.  
 "However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall," because he did, in the eyes of the Ministry. DD knows he hasn't rejoined because he never truly left, but he's keeping that a secret.
"Turned spy for us, at great personal risk," because he did turn spy, was, and still is, at great personal risk.  
"is now no more a Death Eater than I am," because he never 'really' was.  Snape appeared to be a DE, joined on DD's suggestion, the DEs/LV believe he is.  For the sake of any 'respectable' DEs in the crowd (those who were never caught or "are pretending to see the error of their ways"), they believe DD is deceived by Snape (The DEs think Snape has convinced DD he has left LV's employ and is now working as a spy for DD).  The MoM believes Snape is being protected by DD which is the reason Snape's not been killed by DEs.

Snape is still working as a spy for DD.  That is the mission DD sent him on at the end of GoF.  He admits it to Harry (if you believe he is telling the truth) "...and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters." [Snape] "No -- that's your job, isn't it?" Harry shot at him.  "Yes, Potter,' he said, his eyes glinting. 'That is my job." (OotP)
IF Snape was 'the next man' he would have been in the Graveyard with DD's knowledge (had to keep up the pretense of working for LV and spying on DD).  We know Snape is still in with Malfoy, Sr.  Malfoy, Jr suggests Snape apply for Dumbledore's job "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job.  I'll tell father you're the best teacher here, sir." Also, "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better. Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you!" [Umbridge]

Regarding Quirrell, Snape was already suspicious of Quirrell, even before Hallowe'en, and suspecting it was Quirrell who let the Troll in, went after him.  (What caused Snape to be suspicious of Quirrell, we are not told.) Did Snape know that it was Quirrell jinxing HP's broom?  He may not have known it at the moment but obviously figured it out as Quirrell said that was why Snape wanted to referee the next Quidditch match. He was already suspicious of Quirrell.  He knows Quirrell is after the Stone, but doesn't know about the boil on the back of Quirrell's head.  He doesn't know Quirrell has a reason for wanting HP dead.  Did he discuss his suspicion of Quirrell with DD? Probably that's why he's the Quidditch referee for the second match.  Quirrell won't know that Snape is a DE; LV won't have informed him because it is a secret that Snape is a DE spying on DD for LV.  Does Snape suspect that Quirrell is really Quirrellmort?  Probably not, he believes Quirrell is after the Stone for himself.  The Dark Mark hasn't started to come back yet. Why doesn't LV come to visit Snape some night and tell him he's living on the back of Quirrell's head and Quirrell wants the Stone for him?  Because there is nothing Snape can do to help without tipping his hand to DD - in LV's eyes, that is.  If Snape tries to help Quirrell and is caught, DD will 'find out' he's spying for LV (which Snape, of course, is not, but LV believes he IS) and DD will have to fire Snape, or risk everyone knowing that Snape is still a DE (which he's not, but it will look like he is if he's caught trying to steal the Stone). Of course, Quirrell knows about the Stone bcause he's been asked to help protect it.  Snape's statement to Quirrell about loyalties is clearly Snape accusing Quirrell of being disloyal to DD in attempting to steal the Stone for himself at Hallowe'en.  LV on the back of Quirrell's head, understands that Snape has to appear loyal to DD, because as far as he is concerned, Snape is still spying on DD for him.

Karkaroff goes to Snape about the returning Dark Mark because he knew Snape 'was' a DE and would have the mark, too.  He also believes Snape is on the run from LV as he is himself.  Karkaroff is upset about the mark returning because he outed quite a few of LV's henchmen (Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rosier, Travers, Mulciber, Augustus Rookwood).  Released from Azkaban for handing over Augustus Rookwood, he knows what LV's bodily return will mean to him.  He thinks, since Snape 'switched sides' (he heard that he is no longer a DE right from DD's own lips in the court), that Snape should be equally concerned.  Snape is not concerned because he knows Karkaroff is out of the loop.  Karkaroff believes Snape switched sides and so LV should be after him as well.  Snape knows that LV still believes he is one of his chosen DE's and is still, ceaselessly, spying on DD - he has no reason to fear LV's return as Karkaroff does.  Snape's response: 'Then flee. Flee, I will make your excuses.  I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.' (I'll make your excuses to DD. I'll tell him you're a spineless weasel. I am remaining at Hogwarts because I'm much braver than you, Karkaroff, and I don't care if LV's coming back.) shows Karkaroff that he, Snape, is not afraid of a Dark Mark or the one it is connected to.

Professor Snape is not mentioned at all on the day of the third task.  The teachers patrolling the outside of the maze are Moody, Hagrid, McGonagall and Flitwick.  Flitwick?  The hedges are 20 feet tall!  Why was Snape so conspicuous by his absence?  Because DD knew the mark was getting darker and didn't want to commit Snape to anything when he may have to vanish at a moment's notice? " 'It's coming back...Karkaroff's too ... stronger and clearer than ever...' 'A connection I could have made without assistance,' Dumbledore sighed."  Snape only had to be either outside the castle (if you believe it is the castle only that is protected against apparating/disapparating) or off the school grounds (if you believe the whole grounds are protected).  As it is never mentioned whether Snape is even observing the third task, he could have been waiting outside of the school gates for what he and DD believed would be the inevitable - the Mark returning in full - and he could have apparated immediately to LV's side the minute that the Dark Mark burned.  He was back at Hogwarts so quickly, because LV knows he is still working as a spy and though he could make excuses for a short time away, but he would be missed if the delay getting back was very long.  LV has only mentioned a few names in the Graveyard, mostly of those who would have known about each other anyway - Avery, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, the Lestranges. Yet HP thinks he's outnumbered 30 to 1.  That leaves a lot of DE's unnamed. Including Snape who he didn't want just 'everyone' there to know about.  It could account for Snape's making "a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge,"  after HP named Malfoy as a DE.  Snape knew he was standing near Malfoy in the circle and feared HP recognized him - his eyes perhaps, that hooked nose - under the hood and mask.

DD won't let Snape teach DADA, not only because it may bring out the worst in him (as JKR says), but also in case he inadvertently lets something slip.  DD needs Snape as a spy; he needs to know what the DEs, and now LV, are up to.  He can't afford the risk involved - Snape's death - if a DE found out the truth (via a child in Snape's class).  [Yes, I know we don't know if there were any DE's children in classes with Snape prior to Draco & Co. but it's only logical.  Otherwise, all these kids are only children.  Are the Weasleys and Patils the only Wizarding families with more than one child?  They're the only ones we know of.  The Creeveys don't count as they're Muggles.  Certainly would account for the "dying out" of the WW Ron speaks of.]

Of course, the other side of this is that Snape was on the side of good, went over to LV for his own reasons, is truly spying on DD for LV, convinced DD he had left the the DEs, is spying on LV for DD, and is truly a double agent.  (This bit should make the ESE!Snape fans happy.)  The DoubleAgent!Snape was where my theory started, but it evolved into GoodGuy!Snape somehow.  My husband, who has never read the books but has heard my rambling about them, believes the DoubleAgent!Snape theory. He believes Snape is playing both ends against the middle so that, whoever gets vanquished in the end - good guys or bad guys - he'll still have a place in the structure.

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