Snape as spy was Re: Snape as baddie

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 111552

> Magda's Response:
> 
> Obviously I wasn't clear.  I wasn't referring to the first time. 
Six
> students know that Snape is a member of the Order in OOTP.  
That means IF Snape is spying again then six students know 
about it.  Therefore, whatever Snape is doing, he's not a spy 
otherwise more care would be taken that he not be seen by 
anyone or his involvement known.  Is that better?<

Pippin:
Erm,   it's not exactly a secret that Snape is   working for  
Dumbledore!  Even if Snape never showed up at Order 
meetings, Voldemort would still need proof that Snape wasn't 
secretly helping Dumbledore, and I can't see him being satisfied 
with anything less than a personal interview with Snape. 
Meanwhile, there's nothing much that Snape can give away if 
Voldemort knows he's been at Order meetings.

All the old members have already been given away by Peter.  The 
only new ones that we see coming to the meetings are people 
who would be targets anyway:  McGonagall, the aurors  Kingsley 
and Tonks, and the Weasleys. It will not increase their peril  if 
Snape lets slip (with Dumbledore's secret permission) that they 
were at the meetings, since they'd be suspected anyway.

I agree with all your reasons for Voldemort finding Snape handy 
even if he has doubts about him, but they all still work if Snape is 
still a spy.


> Magda's Response
> 
> Noting that one DE "has left me forever - he will
> be killed, of course" doesn't mean "I'm going to drop everything 
and hunt him down and exterminate him RIGHT NOW!"  <

Pippin:
Take it from an old Chicago girl--squealers have a very short life 
span. It's not so much what they say on their own account, it's 
that they set such a bad example for the others. Voldemort can't 
afford to let his not-so-faithful supporters think they can go over 
to Dumbledore and get away with it. Every second he puts off 
dealing with Knowndefector!Snape increases the odds that 
someone else will be knocking on Dumbledore's office door 
asking for their second chance.  Why else would Snape have 
had to go on his errand immediately, the night of the third task, 
and why did Karkaroff flee at once? 

Voldemort has to make sure that any Death Eaters who know 
that Snape was a Death Eater believe that Snape's been faithful 
to Voldemort all along. LV can cherish his private doubts, but he 
can't allow Snape to be seen leading a normal life as a known 
defector.

Pippin