Did Snape work for Dumbledore from Day One?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 119049


Carol:
Fascinating post, azriona! Your theory of Snape as DD's spy all along
is intriguing and fits nicely with Puppetmaster!DD, but for reasons
I've explained all too often on this list, I still think Snape is the
one who will not return. Barty Jr. is clearly the loyal servant and
Karkaroff, who fled rather than stayed, is clearly the coward. For
now, I just want to focus on this one idea: 
>
azriona:
>  [Dumbledore] seems to be the only one to 
> trust Severus Snape – after all, most people in the wizarding world 
> still see him as an ex-Death Eater.  No matter that he was a spy, no 
> one seems to think that Snape can be trusted.
> 
> In GoF Chp 30:
> "'Snape has been cleared by this council, said Crouch 
> disdainfully.  'He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore.'"

> "Harry turned to look at Mad-Eye Moody.  He was wearing a look of
deep skepticism behind Dumbledore's back."
> 
> Here, we learn that Dumbledore gave sufficient proof to the 
> Wizengamot to clear Snape of the charges against him as a Death 
> Eater – however, it's obvious that Crouch doesn't believe it, and in 
> fact may be somewhat annoyed by Snape's release.  Moody more than 
> likely feels the same way, judging from the expression on his face.
 In fact, Moody may not just feel that Snape could still harbor 
> sympathy for the Death Eaters and their cause – he may not agree
with Dumbledore's decision to use Snape as a spy in the first place.  
> 

Carol responds:
I read this scene differently. First, there's no evidence that anyone
beyond "this council"--the Wizengamot, the same people who are present
for Karkaroff's hearing, knows that Snape is an ex-DE. *Crouch!Moody*
knows, of course, and has his own reasons for resenting him, and the
real Moody knows and has his doubts, I agree, but there's no
indication that it's common knowledge in the WW at large. Unlike
Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Rookwood, and Avery, his name was not
published in the papers. Bear in mind that he was still spying for
dumbledore at the time of Karkaroff's hearing "at great personal
risk." He would have been murdered by the DEs or Voldemort himself if
word had gotten out. And it's most unlikely that non-Slytherin parents
would want their children taught by an ex-DE.

As for Crouch Sr., you're saying that he doesn't believe that Snape
has been cleared, but his disdain is aimed at Karkaroff, not at Snape.
what he actually says is, "Snape has been cleared by *this council,*"
i.e., by *us,* by the very people who are sitting here. So no one new
(except Harry) is learning about Snape's past at this hearing. Crouch
had heard Dumbledore's earlier testimony and had evidently been
persuaded to drop all charges. Karkaroff assures him that Snape *was*
a DE. Dumbledore then has to explain that Snape became a spy before
Voldemort fell and "is now no more a Death Eater than I am." Moody
scoffs but Karkaroff is silenced and Crouch says nothing more on the
matter. Evidently the council members remain silent on the matter as
before, knowing Snape's danger even though most of the DEs are in
Azkaban and Voldemort has vanished. Dumbledore, as you note, tells
Harry that Snape has "never been accused of any Dark activity since,"
and there's no indication that anyone outside the Wizengamot knows he
was ever charged. Sirius doesn't know (in GoF) that Snape was a DE;
Fudge seems not to know, either, and gasps in horror when Snape shows
him the Dark Mark.

I agree completely that Snape values Dumbledore's trust, but not
because DD is the only person in the WW who trusts him. And I agree
that there's a bond between them, evidenced most clearly by the few
words and looks exchanged between them when Dumbledore sends Snape on
his dangerous mission and remains silent for several minutes afterwards.

Carol, whose mouse wants to highlight the whole post instead of a
paragraph and is about to find itself turned into a toadstool if it
doesn't start behaving