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

[Tammy]

No: HPFGUIDX 122270



> 
>Carol wrote: 
> >> 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.

>TrekkieGrrrl replied: 
> Do we know for sure that Snape was actually missing from that meeting?!
> 

Tammy:

Personally I don't believe Snape was at the graveyard, but I love to
argue to point that he COULD have been there... so here's my version
of how it could have happened:

Snape could have been one of the DE's at the graveyard. There is
approximately one hour missing from the time Harry leaves by portkey
and arrives by portkey. If you presume that Dumbledore suspected
something of this magnitude (which he had to, given that Kararoff and
Snape's marks were getting darker), then he probably set up
arrangements with Snape to get him quickly outside of Hogwarts in case
he would need to go to be at Voldemort's side, merely to protect Harry.

You've got to figure that the judges knew rather quickly that Harry
and Cedric were missing. I'm sure they could see through the maze
somehow or over the maze, in order to be able to judge the
competition. Even if not, they probably had a spell of some sort on
the cup so they would know the moment someone touched it. So Snape
would have known Harry was missing shortly after Harry was zapped to
Voldemort. It took a bit for Voldemort to kill Cedric (okay,
Wormtail), gloat, and be restored. Beyond that, it took a few minutes
before the DE's started to appear. Thus, we could say about 15 minutes
or so between Harry disappearing and the DEs showing up. We know that
Hogwarts is bordered on one side by the Forbidden Forest. The forest
is next to the Quidditch field (read PoA to see that). And according
to JKR's drawing, the Quidditch field is near the gates as well. 

Thus Snape had plenty of time to get through the forest (hey, he's a
DADA master too! Stuff in that forest would be child's play for him)
or the gate to a place where he could apparate to wherever Voldemort
called him. Even if you presume that he only figured it out once the
mark started to burn, it says that it took several minutes for the DEs
to appear. Snape could have conjured up a robe and mask instantly (I'm
presuming the DEs don't carry it on them all the time, so they
probably just conjure one up each time), and still had time to run
through the forest or the gate to a place where he could apparate. 

Voldemort did pass some DEs in silence, Snape could have been one of
those. I also find it rather hard to believe that a 4th year could
escape from Voldemort and at least 7 Death Eaters (he names 7, and
passes others in silence so I'm guessing an even dozen) without some
help. True, they were stunned, but I think Snape could have been there
and doing a spell or two to ensure that Harry got away. Of course he
could also truly have been on Voldemort's side and wanted to see the
little prat die :P 

There was also a period of time after Harry returned where we don't
see Snape (not until they burst into Moody/Crouch Jr.'s office). That
also gave plenty of time for Snape to get back to Hogwarts, virtually
unnoticed. 

And if you remember, when Harry and Dumbledore are trying to convince
Fudge that what Harry saw was real, Harry starts naming names. When
Harry first starts, it says this about Snape: "Snape made a sudden
movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to
Fudge." Now it could be that reaction was simply because his "friend"
Lucius had just been named. Or it could have been that Snape was
afraid that Harry had recognized Snape in the graveyard.

And that's my theory. I'm not fully convinced myself that it's the
right answer, but I definitely like it as a possibility.

-Tammy, who likes to open possibilities.