"Snape's Job"

[suehpfan]

No: HPFGUIDX 93295

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Elihu Falk <falkelihu at y...> 
wrote:
> Sigune wrote: 
> <snip>
> I quote:
> <'That is just as well, Potter,' said Snape coldly, 'because you 
are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find 
out what the Dark lord is saying to his Death Eaters.'
> 'No - that's your job, isn't it?' Harry shot at him.
> He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For 
a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone 
too far. But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on 
Snape's face when he answered.
> 'Yes, Potter,' he said, his eyes glinting. 'That is my job. Now, if 
you are ready, we will start again.'>
> 
> What on earth is Snape so (almost) satisfied about? Snape being 
Snape, I suddenly started to wonder if he is pleased that Harry 
should think he is spying whereas in fact he isn't (?!) - but that 
does not seem to make much sense to me. And I find his suddenly 
glinting eyes quite alarming. Any theories? Please?
> 
> Elihu's answer:
> 
> I think Snape wants 2 things:
> 
> 1) Harry recognize that Snape is a good guy.
> 2) Harry not compete with Snape over the job of spying on Voldemort.
> 
> The second thing, I believe, is related to the question of why 
Malfoy was friendly with Karkaroff, who had caused Rookwood to go to 
Azkaban. M alfoy and Macnair were on close terms with important 
Ministry people, and possibly saw Rookwood as competition, so they 
were happy, to a degree, when he was caught.
> 
I just read this same section to my kids last night and I thought of 
something else.  Who came in the room next?  Who was there right 
before?  Snape is an excellent Occlumens but he cannot hide from 
Harry (or DD) what is happening with Voldemort if Harry is watching.  
If he is playing two sides against the middle and Harry drifted off 
to sleep just seconds after, or woke up just seconds before Snape was 
sharing information he would not want anyone in the Order to know he 
was sharing, he would have every reason to be even "more angry" at 
Harry than he was when Harry burst into his very brain.

If it was not Snape himself, perhaps he knew how close Harry came to 
discovering something else the Order is trying to hide from everyone, 
perhaps something only DD and Snape know about Voldemort and his 
followers. (There's my theory for the good guy Snape folks :)...)

Adjusting her seat on the fence,
Sue