Snape as the one who won't return (Was: In Defense of Snape (VERY long)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 122246



Betsy wrote:
> <huge snip> Okay, I think it *is* a given that Snape is a spy. 
There are a lot of hints dropped around, but Snape finally states it
in OotP.
> 
> "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.
[...]
"Yes, Potter," he said, his eyes glinting.  "That is my job." (OotP 
Scholastic ed. pg. 591)
> 
> It can't get much clearer than that.

Carol responds:
This part I agree with completely.
> 
> And I think it *is* a given that Snape does go back to Voldemort. 
In GoF, Voldemort lists three missing Death Eaters.  We know that one
is Crouch, Jr., one is Karkaroff, and one is Snape.  Voldemort calls
one his "most faithful servant [...] He is at Hogwarts, that faithful
servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived 
> here tonight..."  Obviously - this is Crouch, Jr.

Carol responds:
Again, I agree. All the textual evidence points to Crouch!Moody as the
faithful servant. But. . . .

The other missing Death Eater "has left me forever... he will be
killed, of course."  
> That must be Karkaroff.  If it was Snape, he'd be keeping Sirius
company at Grimmauld Place or be locked up within Hogwarts.

Carol responds:
Here's where I disagree. We know that Karkaroff fled, and that he was
considering doing so since at least the night of the Yule Ball.
Karkaroff ratted on his fellow Death Eaters and is afraid of the
consequences.  There's certainly no reason for Voldemort to think that
Karkaroff has "left him forever" on principle. He is simply afraid of
the punishment that he'll receive at the hands of the DEs as well as
Voldemort if he returns. I imagine that Voldemort expected exactly
this behavior, particularly if Barty Jr. was keeping tabs on the
"Death Eaters who walked free" and passing on his knowledge to Snape.
We don't know that Karkaroff is dead, and there's IMO a good
likelihood that he'll be caught and punished in Book 6 or 7. He *is* a
coward and Snape is not; Voldemort would know that well.

And 
> Lucius Malfoy would not speak highly of Snape to Umbridge (OotP pg. 
> 745).  Which means Snape is the Death Eater, "too cowardly to 
> return... he will pay." (GoF Scholastic, paperback, pgs. 651-2)
>   
> What else was Dumbledore sending Snape off to do at the end of GoF?
Snape paled and even Dumbledore was apprehensive (ibid pg. 713).  
Again, it seems fairly obvious to me that Snape is about to return to
Voldemort and take whatever payment Voldemort will dish out to him.

Carol responds:
Again, Snape is not a coward and Voldemort would know this from past
experience. He also knows that Snape opposed Quirrell's quest for the
Sorceror's Stone and he may know from Barty Jr. or Wormtail (who spent
quite a bit of time as Scabbers and may have overheard some juicy
tidbits) that Snape is Dumbledore's righthand man. He may know of
Snape's intention to remain at Hogwarts. So why isn't Snape dead or in
hiding? I don't think it's because he played the repentant coward a la
Avery and returned to take his punishment. Nor would he have hidden
unless he really was as cowardly as Karkaroff.

I think that rather than return directly to Voldemort, he went to
Lucius Malfoy and explained to him that he couldn't attend the meeting
because you can't apparate from Hogwarts or its grounds. Malfoy would
then pass on the explanation to Voldemort, who would probably want to
see Snape in person and try to detect the lie in his eyes. Snape,
being a "superb Occlumens," would pass the test. So Snape was able to
conduct his spy activities (I don't think he's a *double* agent)
undetected, finding out, exactly as he told Harry, what the Dark Lord
is telling his Death Eaters.

Snape is skating on thin ice, always at risk of being detected, but as
a quintessential Slytherin, he knows exactly how to act in front of
Malfoy et al. to avoid arousing their suspicion. But with Malfoy in
prison, his job is about to become much harder.

At any rate, I also thought the identity of the missing Death Eaters
was crystal clear and obvious, but it appears that we're both wrong on
that count.

Carol, who agrees with most of Betsy's points but snipped them to
focus on this one