Suicidal!Snape and the Curse of DADA-- LONG!!

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 141933


> 
> houyhnhnm:
> 
> My first reaction was that Snape's reapplying for the DADA every year
> was just Hogwarts urban folklore along the lines of Flitwick the
> duelling champion. 

I totally thought that too- so I was very surprised by JKR's chat
before OoP came out, where she had the "D-dore fears it will be bring
out the worst in Snape" quote, and then of course confirmed it in the
book itself with Umbrige.


>Suicidal!Snape just doesn't ring true
> to me, though.  Through six books the thought has never occurred to me
> that "this man wants to die". 

I've always seen him as guilt-ridden and depressed, myself-- though
the suicidal thing I confess is something I came up with more for the
neatness of the theory than directly from Snape's personality.


> It could be that Snape was lying to Umbridge. In other words, "Snape
> is after the DADA" could be a fiction that both Snape and DD have
> encouraged, because it serves some purpose.  His cover with LV
> perhaps, which leads to the conundrum of why Voldemort would send his
> spy to apply for a position he knew was cursed because he cursed it
> himself.

My problem with that is that is, first, if it's a cover story then
it's a mighty lame one, as Bellatrix says:  "Just because he wouldn't
let you teach your favorite subject..".  The other thing is that JKR
just harps on it so darn much.  I think it's going to be one of her
forehead-slappers.


> Or it could be that Snape did indeed want the DADA position and did
> apply for it every year, not because he wanted to die, but because
>he...He's watched other people take on the job and fail year after
>year. 
> He's analyzed their mistakes.  He could do better.  In fact, it could
> be a kind of ultimate challenge for someone whose interest in dark
> magic is primarily intellectual--to break the curse on the DADA, to be
> teaching Defense Against Dark Arts and practicing it at the same time.

I like this and it's very Snapey... but it's not as bangy.  Plus it
only explains the one thing, and I'm partial to Grand Unified Theories!

Sydney