Here's a Crazy thought...

[Inge]

No: HPFGUIDX 94156

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, 
><<< Mo wrote: 
<snip> And, how about this too...
Snape was always a member of the order and he went
undercover on DD's orders and purposely became a DE
JUST so he could get on the inside.  Basically, he was
the member who risked the most out of any of them.
So, he was NEVER a REAL DE, but just posing as one all
along, doing the most dirty work.. ???>>>

Carol replied:
>>>> He has the Dark Mark burned into his arm, which means he was a 
real Death Eater--and must have taken an oath to give a lifetime of 
service or death. DD says in the Pensieve scene, "He is now no more a 
Death Eater than I am," apparently meaning that Snape has renounced 
the DEs and everything they stand for, but the DEs themselves don't 
know this. 
..snip..
Still, Snape was considered an important DE, important enough for
Karkaroff to mention him in the Pensieve scene, 
..snip..
Karkaroff identified other DEs with specific curses or crimes, such as
murdering the McKinnons, torturing the Longbottoms, and forcing
countless people to do terrible things using the Imperius curse, but
for Snape he only said, "I assure you, Severus Snape is a Death
Eater." 
..snip..
I can't see him doing "dirty work" for the DEs unless he was forced 
to, certainly not for the sake of appearances,
pretending to be a DE.<<<

(sorry about all the snipping)

Inge:
Actually I *can* see Snape doing "dirty work" for the DEs for the 
sake of appearances, pretending to be a DE.
And as such I agree with Mo. If Dumbledore wanted a spy inside with 
Voldemort this spy would *have* to be doing "dirty work" for the sake 
of appearances. How else would a spy be accepted - and useful?

Back in post #89654 I expressed the same idea that Mo came up with - 
that Snape was never a REAL DE. 
It may have been Dumbledore who asked him this favor - or it may have 
been Snape him self who offered to do the job.

Yes, he has the Dark Mark, - 
Yes, in the pensive scene Dumbledore said: "He is now no more a Death 
Eater than I am"
Yes, Karkaroff stated: "I assure you, Severus Snape is a Death
Eater." 

But all that makes scenes if Snape had been working for Dumbledore 
all along and had never been a DE because he 'wanted to be' - but 
because it was his job as a spy from the very beginning.
The Dark Mark he would have to accept for Voldemort to trust him.
Dumbledore could not blow his cover. 
Karkaroff didn't KNOW that Snape was a spy.

As said before - if Snape did this - my admiration for him and his 
courage goes higher than ever.
Inge