Snape's avoidance of Voldemort' s name (Was:OOTP

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 109429

Carol:
> > The name [Voldemort] clearly causes pain to Snape: I'm  not sure that
> it does so for loyal DEs. In fact, my impression is that  both
> Voldemort's name and the presence of a loyal DE (Barty Jr.  in
> disguise) caused Snape's Dark Mark to burn because he's *dis*loyal  to
> Voldemort and the Mark senses that disloyalty. 
 
<snip> "Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left  forearm
> convulsively with his right hand, as though something had hurt  him."
> (GoF Am. ed. 472).
> 
> Clearly it's the Dark  Mark--and Crouch!Moody's reference to it--that's
> causing the pain.  <snip>
 
Eloise:
Although I have theorised in the past (long, long ago) that the  Dark Mark 
may be sensitive to the presence of other DEs and therefor act as a  kind of 
recognition device (given that DEs sometimes operate masked) I am not at  all 
convinced that it is felt at all except in response to a summons from  Voldemort.
 
In the above passage Snape clutches his forearm *as if* something had hurt  
him. Certainly, this *may* be an indication that the DM did actually hurt at  
that point, but if so, then why not earlier in the encounter, why only when  
Crouch!Moody refers to it? I always interpreted it as more of a psychological  
reaction. Having said that, I also think it's somewhat out of character for  
Snape to react that way, not in the sense that he never wears his heart on his  
sleeve, but in that he has spent years hiding his identity as a DE and years  
hiding his loyalty to Dumbledore *from* the DEs, so he should be practised  
enough not to react like that (physical pain or not) when Crouch!Moody called  
his trump like that.
 
I think it is included as a measure of the level of discomfiture that Snape  
felt at that moment. He knew that Voldemort was regaining power. He must have  
known that shortly he was going to have to prove his worth to the Order 
again,  that with Voldemort a player again, his own position, his own life were 
going to  be jeopardised again. He knew that Moody (as he thought) had never 
trusted him  and wanted evidence against him and so JKR shows him giving the 
instinctive  reaction of covering up that evidence in a convulsive movement. Whilst 
it's  rather a crude reaction for Snape, of course it's also necessary that 
the  reaction is clear enough to be noted by Harry and thus related to the  
reader.
 
I think that Crouch!Moody is deliberately testing the waters here with  
Snape. I think he's genuinely unsure of where his loyalties lie. When Snape  
clutches his Dark Mark, he simply laughs and tells him to get back to bed,  enjoying 
the uncomfortable situation he's put him into. If that clutching of the  arm 
indicated to him that Snape was disloyal to Voldemort, then I think that we  
might see some slightly more sinister or knowing reaction.
 
Carol:
>The second incident that I recall (there may be others)  occurs in OoP
> during the first occlumency  lesson:
<snip>
> "'*Do not say the Dark Lord's name!*' spat  Snape. (Italics in original.)
<snip>
> "'Dumbledore is an  extremely powerful wizard,' Snape muttered. "While
> *he* may feel secure  enough to use the name. . . the rest of us. . .'
> He rubbed his left  forearm, apparently unconsciously, on the spot
> where Harry knew the Dark  Mark was burned into his skin." (OoP Am. ed.
> 532).
> 
> This  time the pain seems less intense, <snip> but nevertheless the
> pain  seems directly connected with Voldemort's name. That in itself
> seems  sufficient reason for Snape to call Voldemort the Dark Lord,
 
Eloise:
Alternatively, we could simply accept Snape's explanation.  Again, I'm not 
convinced that Snape *felt* anything at that moment but I'd be  very worried 
about his carelessness if I didn't think it was merely a device for  the reader's 
benefit.
 
Carol:

>but I also think that he wants to emphasize for Harry in  particular how
> very dangerous--and Dark--Voldemort is. Not a foe to be  faced lightly
> by a boy who thinks he's a Dark Wizard's equal. He is,  IMO, trying to
> help Harry understand that in this scene.
 
 
Eloise:
I'm possibly a little more cynical about this. Harry may have the  
foolhardiness of youth, but Snape must know by this time both that Harry  actually is no 
fool and that potentially he *is* Voldmort's equal. I don't think  he likes 
that one little bit. Of all the people marked out potentially to be the  
undoing of Voldemort, James Potter's son is the last one he would like it to be.  
I've said it before and I've said it again: I think Snape is jealous of Harry  
and this exchange is another example of his trying to put the upstart in his  
place (similar to the remark about finding out what Voldemort is saying to his  
followers being *his* job). How can he possibly think that Harry doesn't 
realise  that Voldemort is very dangerous and very Dark? No. I think this little 
exchange  is all about Snape and Harry.
 
 
Carol:
> But to return to my main point: Hearing the name, or a reference  to
> the mark placed by Voldemort himself on Snape's arm as a symbol  of
> loyalty and a means of enforcing it, causes Snape pain. The question  I
> have that I hope someone will answer is, do we have any  indication
> that the loyal Death Eaters feel a similar pain?
 
 
Eloise:
No, I don't think we do. But I'm not convinced that Snape feels physical  
pain, only that he demonstrates an awareness of its presence.
 
 
 
> Kemper replies:
> 
> I seem to recall Crouch!Moody using  the name Voldemort when he's 
> questioning Harry in his office before DD,  MM and Snape stun him.  
 
Eloise:
Yes, he does. But only once and that before he's revealed his  true identity 
to Harry. The rest of the time he too refers to Voldemort as the  Dark Lord.
 
Whilst I'm sure that Dumbledore is right in promoting the use of  Voldemort's 
real name (and I find the exaggerated reactions of many of the  characters, 
such as Ron and particularly Hermione very irritating) I think that  Snape's 
continued use of the phrase "the Dark Lord" indicates an acknowledgement  of the 
power which he at first hand knows him to wield, rather than an avoidance  of 
any physical pain caused by his disloyalty.  It's also probably a good  thing 
that Snape *does* habitually use the term. Given that one isn't always  
completely sure of loyalties he wouldn't want to go carelessly suggesting to any  
DE or sympathiser in the know that he was talking to (or was overheard by) that 
 he didn't acknowledge Voldemort's lordship. 
 
~Eloise


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