Snape's part in death of Sirius (some FF)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 108266

 
> Neri:
> There were several hours in which he either didn't inquire 
about  Harry's status, or knew what happened and didn't call HQ. 
I'm talking  about what he could have done in these hours. 
<snip> 
> 
> The problem might be that Severus' teamwork sucks. Why 
can't he  simply ask for assistance when he is alone in a difficult 
situation?  Possibly he was a double agent too much time? 
> 
> Pippin wrote in:
> 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/10816
9
> 
> It's possible that you are right, and Snape waited as long as he 
dared because he didn't really care what happened to Harry. But 
it's also possible  that he waited as long as he dared because 
he didn't trust anyone at HQ  except DD.
> 
> Neri:
> Lets explore a bit the interesting speculation that Snape 
delayed contacting HQ because he didn't trust anyone except 
DD. First, why  would Snape suspect someone in HQ at all? <

Pippin:
Because Albus "I trust Severus Snape" Dumbledore told him to? 
According to my theory, Dumbledore already suspected a mole 
at Christmas, and had shared his suspicions with Phineas, 
whom Dumbledore sent to check conditions at HQ before 
sending Harry there. Snape is therefore not the suspected mole, 
since he was at Hogwarts at the time, and neither is Kreacher, 
since he was at HQ when DD sent Harry there at Christmas.

Key to my  version of events is that Snape does *not * know that 
Harry made contact with Grimmauld Place. Harry was 
"concentrating hard on what he had seen in his dream" not on 
his communication with Kreacher. If Snape *had* seen that, then 
he would have known when he contacted HQ the first time that 
Kreacher had given Harry bad information, and then indeed 
things should have gone  differently. 

Another intriguing thought though...Snape also serves two 
masters. He's reported to HQ--hasn't he got another report to 
make?  He really should tell LV what's happened, since 
Umbridge and Draco are going to report it all to Lucius anyway. 
Of course Voldemort would want Harry to escape...

(Fan Fic avoiders should skip between +++)
++++++
"Ah, Severus, I wondered if I might be hearing from you. "

"Master, Potter's had another vision. He seems to think you're 
holding Sirius Black at the Department of Mysteries."

"Good. Good. Where is Potter now?"

"He's being held in Dolores Umbridge's office on the second 
floor. Apparently she caught him trying to use her fireplace to 
send a message. She wanted me to supply her with veritaserum 
in order to interrogate the boy. I made my excuses of course. I  
wouldn't  want Potter to disillusion her about your return."

"Ah, the narrow bureaucratic mind --an evil beyond all we do 
here...wait, you say Potter's being held? What do you mean?"

"Umbridge confiscated his wand--I suppose she means to put 
him in detention. I offered to poison Potter for her but--"

"That will do Snape. Listen carefully. You are to see that Potter 
escapes from Umbridge, do you understand?"

"Yes, master, but--"

"And you are to let me know as soon as possible if he  leaves 
the grounds. Is that clear?"

"Yes, master."

"That will be all."
++++++

Whereupon, Snape tells the Bloody Baron to get Peeves to 
create a diversion above Umbridge's office. It is this which 
allows the DA to get away. Meanwhile Snape asks Nearly 
Headless Nick to tell Harry   that there's been a message from 
Dumbledore: Harry is *not* under any circumstances to leave the 
castle and Snuffles is safe.

Of course there's a hitch in this beautiful plan...Harry's already 
left the castle. Nick can't follow Harry and deliver the message 
till sunset. ( In folklore, ghosts avoid sunlight much as vampires 
do. It's pretty dark in the lake where Harry sees Myrtle. )

Snape is furious when he finds out, but what can he do? It's 
almost sunset by now--soon Nick can go to the forest and start 
searching.  Snape will see to his damaged Slytherins and try to 
find out if they know anything. Meanwhile, as long as Harry is on 
the grounds and not on his way to London, the balance is tilted 
away from Snape calling HQ, since that will blow Snape's cover 
and he'll die with his debt unpaid.

But Harry can't fly without a broom (as far as Snape knows) and 
he can't leave the forest for Hogsmeade without going back past 
the castle, unless he knows where there's another gate--the 
main gates are on the other side of the grounds from the Forest 
as near as I can tell.

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/images/maps/hogwarts_map.html

Maybe Nick  reports a few hours later that he can't find Harry, and 
that's when Snape calls Voldie again. He gets told that 
Potter's already at the Ministry,  and LV permits  Snape  to tell the 
Order that he's "deduced" where Potter went. It's too late now, 
mwa-ha-ha-ha.

Of course this is so speculative it's practically fan fic even
without the imaginary dialogue, but it was fun to work out. <g>

Neri:
> So the problem is not that Snape can't trust HQ. Perhaps the 
problem  is that Snape won't ask Sirius for assistance?<

What if the suspected mole is Lupin? Would Sirius even 
consider that? Especially from Snape?

Pippin