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

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 122272


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> 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.
> 

Valky:
No you are quite right Carol. After PS/SS, the most likely scenario 
is that Snape is the one who Voldie said he *believed* has left him 
forever, notice his uncertainty. Quirrel in PS/SS says that 
Snape "seems the type" to be in his position aiding LV to resurrect. 
So if, to Quirrel, Sevvie seemed the type, then most likely he also 
did seem likewise to Vapomort. 


Carol: 
> 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. 


Valky:
Actually Carol I think Snape has something far more substantial than 
weak excuses to offer Voldemort. What Dumbledore knows. We know 
Dumbledore has a knack for revealing interesting information without 
actually telling the whole story. I believe we'll find that this has 
ben DD and Snapes plan all along. Snape has a lot of valuable 
Dumbldore wisdom to impart, at their discretion *they* are imparting 
small amounts of information to LV. It is making Sevvie look like an 
always faithful servant.
 

Carol:
> Snape is skating on thin ice,

Valky:
I have to agree. Verry thin ice, I am sure that LV is taking Snapes 
explanation of "...where your loyalties lie..." with copious amounts 
of salt. However as long as Sevvie continues to be a useful link to 
Dumbledores intellectual power, he will keep him around. Fortunately 
for Severus he *doesn't* have to feign his loathing for Harry, Lupin 
and Gryffindor virtues, so he will be able to maintain his charade 
well. OTOH I think that in HBP there might be a trial for Snape, 
when LV demands that he explain what Dumbldore knows about the 
things he found *inside* Harry Potter at the end of OOtP. It's just 
a hunch but I think that when Voldemort and Snape butt heads on this 
one Snape might slip up on it.