Motivations for Joining DEs (Was: Bullying)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 140988

Jen previous:
> > I'm [...] saying there was a very large possibility Eileen was
> > seen as a blood traitor when she married a Muggle. Whether
> > Voldemort knew about it or cared is impossible to say, but the
> > groundwork is there for Snape to be recruited as a means of
> >  punishing Eileen. Perhaps Snape, like Lupin and Draco, found 
> > out the truth later on.

Nora:
> Eileen married a Muggle, which speaks to some kind of openness;
> even if she deceived him about being a witch, she would never have
> married someone who she thought was 'filthy'.  This all speaks to
> it being at least reasonably amicable.  Young Snapey as being
> targeted because his mommy married a filthy Muggle...that has
> legs. One does wonder how much he bought into the pureblood
> ideology.

Jen: Actually, I wasn't referring to Eileen's family seeing her as a 
blood traitor, rather, Voldemort and the DE's. When Eileen married 
and had Severus, Voldemort wasn't in power. He was traveling and 
going through transformations. By the time Snape was at Hogwarts, 
Voldemort was gaining power. He may have put two-and-two together 
about his old schoolmate Eileen and her Muggle husband, a situation 
very similar to his own hated parents (in his mind). Since 
Voldemort's proven to recruit young people to punish the parents, 
his interest in Snape may have been similar to his interest in 
Draco. 

Potioncat:
> We also have someone (Harry?) presuming that Eileen is a
> Pureblood. We don't know that. Yes, she was a witch. For all we
> know, she was Muggleborn. And while that isn't likely, it's 
> possible. It's also possible that if the Prince family was
> established, that Snape's unfortunate circumstances of birth would
> be somewhat disregarded by others.

Jen: Harry does presume, although there's certainly some canon for 
Eileen being pureblood. We've only met two half-blood students 
sorted to Slytherin from what I remember--Riddle and Snape. Riddle 
was sorted there because of his illustrious Slytherin lineage, so 
it's possible Snape was sorted there because the Prince lineage was 
notable, or at least most of the Princes were in Slytherin. If the 
Princes were important in the WW and/or Eileen was good at potions, 
I suspect we'll hear more about the Snape family from Slughorn.

Nora:
> One can provide the more charitable reading of that quote, to be 
> sure, but my reading is more of the "there are things that it's
> not good to have Snape around for a reason".  Particularly as the
> essence of the Dark Arts is domination...

Jen: Voldemort's form of dark arts is domination, I'm not sure all 
of it is. Either way, I wasn't arguing a charitable reading of that 
quote so much as saying it was probably more proof of Snape's 
interest in the dark arts. But I didn't explain that, so how could 
you know? ;)

Nora: 
> Speaking of that, my counterquestion is still open.  We've got
> hints and such that Snape is something of an ideological kindred
> to Voldemort--can anyone provide me with arguments for Snape as an
> *ideological* counterpart to Dumbledore?  Canon for Snape
> believing in the power of love, believing the best of people,
> faith, hope, charity, teamwork, friendship?

Jen: I can't see Snape drawn to either side for ideological reasons, 
frankly. He joined Voldemort to further a personal agenda and the 
same for rejoining Dumbledore, as far as I can tell. He didn't 
*object* to the pureblood agenda of Voldemort, but was good 
at 'slithering out of action' according to Bella, and Snape doesn't 
deny it. On the other side he doesn't have to personally believe in 
Dumbledore's philosphy to be a useful spy. Why he's a member of the 
Order, I can't guess. Surely he could be a spy without joining the 
Order. Dumbledore could pass on information from an 'informant' and 
very few of the teachers are actually in the Order. 

I do wonder whether we'll find out threats on Eileen's life or 
torture of her, rather than Lily's murder, were the reason Snape 
ultimately left Voldemort. Maybe LV sensed some indecision on 
Snape's part due to his slithering behavior, and decided to up the 
ante, expecting Snape would cringe and swear his alliance. Instead 
it was the final straw, and Snape became a double agent.

Jen