How's Snape Doing it?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 89707

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "capehoneysuckle"
<capehoneysuckle at e...> wrote:
> lizvega2 <lizvega2 at y...> wrote:
> > I've always wondered how exactly Snape was spying on Voldemort when 
> > we know that he has the capability of knowing when someone is lying 
> > to him. I came across an interesting theory: Snape is using 
> > polyjuice potion containing Barty Crouch jr.'s hair. The proof:
> > 
> > Barty wasn't killed. He was given the dementor's kiss. Victims of 
> > the kiss are still alive, but comatose. His hair would still be 
> > usable. 
> > 
> > Voldemort doesn't know what happened to Barty Crouch, jr. The last 
> > thing he knew was Harry touched the Portkey, and was gone from the 
> > graveyard. Snape left the hospital ward, 'prepared' a little while 
> > later, to do what? If he was going to spy, which the above quote in 
> > my estimation confirms this, wouldn't it be easier to return to 
> > Voldemort as Barty jr., than Snape?
> > 
> > Barty, who did everything VL told him to, including getting Harry 
> > through the Tri-Wizard Tournament, no easy feat by his own 
> > admission. VL referred to Barty as his faithful servant, he probably 
> > wouldn't be probing the feelings of Barty as heavily as Snape. 
> > 
> > Can anyone tell me if there's any referance to the public, or even 
> > the students at Hogwarts finding out the Barty was masquerading as 
> > Moody?
> 
> Honey:
> This is a brilliant theory. It completely explains Snape's
> unquestioned presence in LV's inner circle.
> 
> Although canon suggests that the public (at least the Daily Prophet) 
> is not aware of the Moody/Crouch Jr. masquerade, the Hogwarts students
> seem to be aware. In Umbridge's first class, Dean Thomas refers to
> Fake Moody thusly:
> 
> 'Hermione put up her hand; Professor Umbridge turned away from her.
> 
> "It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal
> curses in front of you, he actually performed them *on* you --"
> 
> "Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean Thomas
hotly.'
> 
> I don't think that it is necessary for the Snape/Crouch/Polyjuice
> Theory that Crouch's masquerade be a secret. Even if everyone knows
> that Crouch escaped from Azkaban and spent a year pretending to be
> Moody, it only matters for the theory to work that *LV* not know about
> the Dementor's Kiss, and there is no evidence that the Kiss is public
> knowledge. The students might speculate about what happened to him
> after the scene at the Third Task, but since the Kiss was unwitnessed,
> it most likely is only speculation. If Snape had showed up at DE
> headquarters shortly after the scene in the graveyard, in disguise as
> Crouch Jr., there would be no reason for LV to believe rumors (if he
> heard any from, say, Draco Malfoy via Lucius) that Crouch was Kissed.
> 
> The Double Agent Snape Theory, in my opinion, is also very convincing
> and consistent with canon. I like the Snape/Crouch/Polyjuice Theory
> better because it fits so well with the way JKR tends to introduce a
> perfectly plausible plot device or character, seems to be done with
> it, and then it pops up again in a way that makes us say, "I should
> have seen that coming a mile away." Using the Polyjuice Potion yet
> again in this way would fit that pattern.
> 
> Just a thought. I'm ready to be convinced of *nearly* anything except
> Vampire Snape. (Oops-put my foot in it.)
> 
> Honey

The main problem I see with this interesting theory is that the
effects of the polyjuice potion only last an hour. Unlike
Crouch!Moody, Snape!Crouch wouldn't have a handy hip flask to keep the
potion from losing its effects. Also, until the end of OoP, Snape is
clearly still on speaking terms with Lucius Malfoy, as he would not be
if he had not explained to Malfoy that he could not leave the
Tri-Wizard tournament to attend the graveyard meeting. Snape!Crouch
would not have given any such explanation, and Snape would be in
serious trouble with his DE connections. 

So, sorry, I don't buy it. But, as Honey says, it's better than
Vampire!Snape.

Carol