Snapes Teaching Career - Dates and Causes (WAS: DD and Harry in Book VI.

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 123985


> NorthSouth wrote:
> The way I worked it out, Snape was in his second year teaching at 
> Hogwarts during GH. He says to Umbridge he's been there 16 years. 
> (This before Harry turns 16)so he either started teaching midyear, 
or 
> was rounding up to 16, or perhaps was even in his 16th year as a 
> teacher, which would mean he was in his *third* year during GH. I 
> tend to believe that he was rounding like McG, and had not yet 
> finished his 16th year. Since Harry was about a year and 3 months 
old 
> during GH,(I'm assuming the year because he's the same age as 
Dudley, 
> who's already talking some) Snape started teaching either mid year 
> before the summer Harry was born, or in September after it.  
> 
> On a slightly related subject: Why did Snape take up teaching at 
> such a  young age: Hagrid mentions in PS/SS that Hogwarts was the 
only 
> safe place there was. 
<snip>

Hannah:  In my copy of OotP, he says '14' years in response to 
Umbridge's enquiry.  Page 323 UK hardback 1st ed.  It may have 
changed in subsequent editions, but I'd not read that on any of the 
fan sites.  

So... Harry is 15 in OotP.  Thus depending on if Snape is rounding 
up or down, and on if JKR has got her maths right (and we know she 
sometimes doesn't), he either started at Hogwarts immediately before 
GH, or the year after (or sooner afterwards if he started mid year).

I have always believed that Snape was given the job at Hogwarts by 
DD to keep him safe from any recriminations from the DE's, and maybe 
to keep an eye on him/ keep him out of temptation.  I can't see him 
*wanting* to teach.  I think he ended up in the job reluctantly for 
security reasons, contributing to his current bitterness.  

Hannah