Conspiracies and re-assessments

[Nora Renka]

No: HPFGUIDX 112487

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> Do we know that Snape was "on the path to being DE at this time"?  I
> don't think so.  We don't know when Snape made that decision.  
> 
> Magda

The evidence right now is rather circumstantial--let me say off the 
bat that I have absolutely no clue when Snape made the decision, and 
there is a lot of room for JKR to hit us up side the head.  That 
being said, here's why one *might* think of it as such:

1.  The oft-debated comment about all the Dark Arts and curses that 
Snape came in knowing, and his continued interest in them.  
Unverified as of yet, but also no good reason to completely ignore 
them.

2.  The also oft-debated association with the 'gang of Slytherins'.  
Evidence points to Bellatrix, at least, being older, so fifth-year 
Snape likely had had some association with at least one of these 
members, and, well...really no doubts about Bella's inclinations.  
Also a big gaping hole with lots of room for surprises.

2a.  'Lucius Malfoy's lapdog' comment, which seems to indicate some 
*past* association, in addition to some present.  Same question as 
above, on time and influence and all that.

3.  Regulus, the younger Black brother, joined up at some time, 
presumably right after school but possibly even before, but at a time 
when this was even somewhat (or more) socially acceptable amongst his 
family circles to do so.

4.  I'm a self-admitted fan of George and Diana; the alternative is 
something BANG-y, which is also eminently possible.  If fifth-year 
Snape is not already on the path to being a DE, then it logically 
follows that either the gradual process is compressed into two years, 
or something really big kicked him over the edge (and I know what 
everyone is going to say and still don't buy it).

I think most of the evidence presented so far, compounded with those 
vague interview comments ('sordid past', etc.), points towards a 
young Severus who was already *inclined* towards the sort of things 
that being a DE would encourage.  There is no reason to posit that he 
was philosophically opposed; the best I think we can get is a 
*possible* neutrality.

I have no idea--but here are some of the reasons one might think of 
him already being on the path.

-Nora notes that this is all predicated on entirely too little 
information, and goes to have a drink with Faith