The Possibilities of Grey Snape

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 143055

Debbie:
> Grey!Snape bears more than a passing resemblence (but is clearly
> not identical) to something I posted last month, which I won't
> repeat, but which can be read here:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/142005

Jen: Thank you for re-posting this one. I particularly liked three 
components of your argument and feel they are important for this 
ever-expanding puzzle:

1) Snape's fury at Dumbledore over his handling of the Marauders 
after the Prank & designation of James as head boy, as well as 
opportune recruiting by the DE's, sent Snape to Voldemort's camp. 
Once there, Snape could play the role of the obsequious toady to 
Voldemort, but could never really *feel* the devotion required. Both 
father figures failed him, in other words. 

2) Snape was told by Voldemort about the plan to kill Dumbledore &  
his own likely role in carrying out the killing prior to Spinner's 
End. Snape had already relayed that information to Dumbledore before 
faced with the UV and the UV was both a brick in the wall to ensure 
Snape's place in Voldemort's camp, and a weakness by Snape which 
ensured the event would *have* to happen when it was once only a 
probability (that last part was something you alluded to in this 
post, I believe, but it fits here unless I'm putting words in your 
mouth <g>).

3) Snape, prior to the UV, realizes Dumbledore expects him to be the 
one to kill DD should it come to that, to protect Draco. Snape feels 
betrayed by being placed in the Judas role, to appear to the world 
as a traitor once again. His loyalty toward Dumbledore is tested by 
this confluence of events.

Debbie:
> As I see it, Snape's weakness has two root causes:
> (1) His emotions, which in most circumstances he is enormously
> adept at controlling, but he has a weak spot in that the wounds of
> his adolescence still have not fully healed ("fools . . . who
> cannot control their emotions, who wallow in memories and allow 
> themselves to be provoked so easily"). These issues come to the
> forefront in the Shrieking Shack and in the disastrous end to the
> Occlumency lessons.

Jen: I'm waiting for the tantalizing revelation of when Snape 
learned that "fools who wear their hearts proudly on their 
sleeves....who wallow in sad memories.....stand no chance against 
his powers!" That came across as a person who has learned his lesson 
the hard way.

Debbie:
> My thinking is similar, but I give Snape credit for genuine
> remorse and loyalty. Dumbledore's trust is justified because for
> sixteen years Snape's loyalty is with Dumbledore. The Occlumency
> fiasco was a revelation about the state of Snape's emotions, but
> not an indicator of his loyalty....Rather, it sets up the turmoil
> he faces at the end of HBP.

Jen: I didn't go into detail but do agree Snape showed genuine 
remorse when he switched sides and also felt real loyalty, made much 
easier when Voldemdort turned to vapor perhaps. And if we find out 
that Snape attempted to warn James and Lily that Voldmort had 
discovered their location, and James refused to believe it because 
he thought Sirius was still the Secret-Keeper, then I'd even go so 
far as to say Snape attempted to *atone* for his sins as well.

Debbie:
> I like this! I had not thought that his entrapment into the UV was
> the result of the DADA curse, but you're right. The DADA curse
> doesn't get much play, but its effect is a mirror to the luck
> conferred by Felix Felicis. With Felix Felicis everyone makes the
> right choices. Almost as the DADA curse kicks in Snape's double
> agent role is compromised by the UV.

Jen: That's exactly how I saw the UV too, as the antithesis of 
Felix! But my thoughts were simply an off-shoot of Carol's very 
concise and completely original post here about the DADA curse:

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137961

Debbie:
> I think Snape is left at the end of HBP alone with his emotions
> and Draco Malfoy and a bunch of decisions to make. His future
> loyalty is not assured, but I agree that he will do the right
> thing in the end.<snipping> This is why I picture Snape out there
> somewhere in his own private hell, trying to make up his mind
> whether to carry out Dumbledore's plan to save Draco or whether to
> go over to Voldemort and save himself. What would really justify
> Dumbledore's faith would be for Snape to emerge from this crucible
> and do the right thing. It's easy to be faithful while ensconced
> in a safe job at Hogwarts; to really justify Dumbledore's faith he
> must face a final test. That's one reason why I think Snape must
> have actually been loyal to Dumbledore up to and including the
> moment of the AK on the tower.

Jen: I should snip more but these two thoughts go together, just as 
Snape and private hell go together <g>. I do think it was a sign 
Snape was still loyal to Dumbledore at the end of GOF that he chose 
to follow Dumbledore's orders and return to Voldemort. Snape could 
have said, 'no way in hell, let's just say I'm on your side now and 
be done with it" and become another Trelawney for Dumbledore to 
protect from Voldemort. Returning to Voldemort and facing whatever 
he had in store was probably not a very enjoyable event judging from 
the torture Harry senses of Avery and which is promised to Bella in 
OOTP. All that to say I think the pressure started at the end of GOF 
and continued on, building up to the boiling point in HBP. 

But you're right that the real, true test of loyalty will come after 
Dumbledore is gone. When not feeling alternately comforted and 
trapped by Dumbledore's faith in him, what will Snape choose?

Potioncat:
> Jen suggests the Dark Arts have not tempted him. But they have! He
> was ready to use Crucio and even Septumsempra...or is it
> Semprasectum...on Snape. He was enjoying the spells (curses,
> hexes, whatever) that the Prince wrote about. He tried crucio on
> Bella...and whether it worked or not, he was tempted. Before HBP,
> I thought there might be a shady area around Dark Arts and it
> would easy enough to sort of slide into Dark Arts without meaning
> to.

Jen: I didn't mean to say that, I've argued before that when Harry 
is in a rage he has been tempted to try dark magic and that it's Not 
A Good Thing. The previous context was referring to the temptation 
of joining Voldemort.

Interestingly enough though, *Harry* doesn't realize he's been 
tempted to use dark magic. The fact that he never confided the MOM 
scene with Bella to anyone, and that only Snape was aware of the run 
across the grounds, points me to the idea that Snape (or the HBP) 
will end up being the one who overtly or covertly helps Harry 
understand why he can't follow that path.

Jen