Snape and the Edinburgh Festival

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 111109

> Sigune:
> 
> Hmm... the Life Debt, I can see that. He's honour-bound...
> 
> I offer up my own pet theory (sorry, couldn't resist...) - feel 
free 
> to tear it to bits. I haven't got any proof, but I believe I am 
being 
> consistent with canon.
> Here goes:

>> BUT.
> After some time he begins to realise the Death Eaters are not 
really 
> the allies he had thought they were. They are all out to save their 
> own skins, to further their own causes; and the Dark Lord does not 
> really want his followers to substantially win power. He wants 
> servants merely, and bullies his Death Eaters into such a position. 
> This is so not what our ambitious young man wanted. He feels 
cheated. 
> But he is bound to the Dark Lord by now. And on his own he has not 
> sufficient strength to win back his freedom and pride.
> So he turns to Albus Dumbledore, the only man who *does* have that 
> strength and power. He offers to spy for him. And how wonderful it 
> feels to undetectedly thwart the Evil Overlord who thinks he 
> possesses him. Heh heh. And, look, he's better off with Dumbledore 
on 
> the whole: no more Cruciatus Curses, no serfdom, a nice job in a 
safe 
> place, a position of trust, and lots to learn. Hasn't he made a 
> clever move.

Ally:

Sigune, I just put forth a very similar theory before I read yours.  
I also think Snape got in and found out it wasn't quite what he 
expected and definitely definitely resents being some minion to a 
cranky, crucio-happy dark lord.

Sigune:
> Somehow I think that for Snape to make such an important decision 
as 
> that of changing sides, there must have been something done to him 
> personally. He changed his mind after being forced to do something 
> gruesome? Don't buy that. Someone as calculating as he was would 
not 
> have joined the DE's without first informing himself as to what 
they 
> were all about. And he's not a wimp, or he wouldn't have lived 
till, 
> well, Book Six at least, and wouldn't have shown Fudge the Dark 
Mark, 
> and wouldn't have agreed to to whatever it is he is currently doing 
> for Dumbledore. Snape's greatest concern is himself; if he joined 
the 
> DE's, left them, became a spy, eventually joined the Order - he did 
> so for selfish reasons. That's why Dumbledore can trust him: he 
knows 
> he is Snape's greatest asset, they need each other to reach their 
> respective goals, which happen to converge in one important place - 
> Voldemort's defeat.

Ally:

The one thing I disagree with here is that he wouldn't have joined 
the DEs without informing himself of what they were all about.  While 
I agree that he probably knew in a sense what they were about, I 
don't think he really *KNEW* what it meant to be a DE.  I think he 
was manipulated into joining.

Remember, he would have been very young, and I always come back to 
his speech to Harry during occlumency about how Voldemort preys 
on "fools who wear their hearts on their sleeves."  I think Snape is 
talking about himself there and how he was lured into the fold.

I'm not so sure there had to be some big, momentous event to make him 
turn.  I think JKR might pick something subtle here, the way she 
chose to make Sirius' death so sudden and fairly understated.  In 
some ways, I think that would be better.  And it may well have 
something to do with information about Snape we don't even have yet.

But I agree, Snape's reasons are mainly selfish, and that's why DD 
knows he can trust Snape.  I think Snape can't wait to be freed from 
his servitude, and that's the main thing driving him.

Ally.