Snape still a Deatheater? (Was: Re: Snape and the MOM )

[earendil_fr]

No: HPFGUIDX 92814

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "snapesmate" <snapesmate at h...> 
wrote:
> Is there actually canon stating Snape is still a DE?  I mean, his 
> ability to discover what Voldemort is saying to his followers 
could 
> be because of something else...  his legilimancy skills (used on 
best 
> bud Lucius perhaps?) Possibly being an unregistered animagus 
> himself?  I know some speculate whether or not he is part or even 
all 
> vampire, but what if he has batlike chracteristics because he has 
the 
> animagus form of a bat?  Sirius had a few doglike characteristics, 
> ie. his bark like laugh, etc.  
> Lynnette, who thinks Snape IS a good guy, even if he is NOT a nice 
> guy!

(Hello everyone, I'm new here, and this will be my first post!)

There is no actual canon stating *clearly* that Snape is still a DE. 
There are only few hints pointing in that direction. All we *do* 
know for sure is that at the end of Gobelet of Fire Dumbledore asked 
Snape if he was ready to do something Snape seemed to dread. The 
only thing that would indicate that Snape could still be a DE: 
Harry's thoughts as he's about to get on the Hogwarts Express (at 
the end of Gobelet of Fire as well). Harry wonders if what 
Dumbledore asked Snape to do is to become a spy again as a DE.

JKR usually uses Harry's thoughts to hint at something she wants the 
reader to think. So either this is the truth, either she wants us to 
believe Snape is a DE to cover something else, much bigger.

There's also the hint during the Occlumency lesson that Snape is 
indeed the one in the Order in charge of knowing what Voldemort and 
his followers are up to. As you said Lynnette, that still doesn't 
mean he's a DE, he could get his information some other way.

However, I doubt he would be able to get information from another DE 
(like Malfoy for instance as was suggested in a previous post by 
Carol I believe) without being one himself. Not returning to the 
Dark Lord's side is considered as a betrayal and any other DE, 
friend or not, would be very suspicious of him. If Snape isn't a DE 
he has to have another way to get his information.

About Snape being a vampire, I think JKR denied this in an 
interview, but I don't remember clearly so I could be wrong.

As for the Animagus theory, I doubt Snape would be one. We already 
know about more unregistered Animagi (Sirius, James, Pettigrew, 
Skeeter) than registered ones (McGonagall). Adding yet another 
unregistered Animagus would be pushing it a bit too far IMO, 
especially since becoming an Animagus is supposed to be a very hard, 
complex and dangerous task (even if that wouldn't stop a clever 
wizard like Snape), closely controlled by the Ministry (even if the 
Ministry's inefficiency has been proven over and over).


Earendil, who agrees with Lynnette about Snape (you don't have to be 
a nice guy to be a good guy! ;-)