Snape's future (Was: Snape's other books)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 140479

Ginger wrote: 
> Now that Snape has gone without having had the chance to pack up, does 
> anyone think that MM will have a go through his belongings (or have 
> the Aurors in the Order do it) in order to look for clues?  
> 
> If his potions book was that interesting, I'd love to see his old DADA 
> book.  
> 
> Too bad a diary is out of character, both for him as a person, and for 
> his work as a spy.  That would have been some really interesting 
> reading.
<snip>

Carol responds:
I've been wondering the same thing. I'm sure the Aurors will search
his office (and Spinner's End, if they can find it) quite thoroughly.
What will they find? All sorts of useful potions, I'm sure, from
Veritaserum to the Draught of Living Death. But they'll probably have
to be confiscated and not put to use. Too bad! Snape's DADA lesson
plans would be interesting, too.

But I've also been thinking of what Snape is going to do now. Whether
he's the murdering traitor he appears to be in a surface reading or
DD's man through and through, he's lost his job, many of his
possessions, his salary for that year, his position in the Order, his
respectability, his freedom. He can't show up in Diagon Alley or
Hogsmeade or he'll be arrested. If the Aurors question Narcissa Malfoy
(and I'll bet they will since Draco is an accessory to murder as well
as being guilty of attempted murder and various other crimes), she
could give away Snape's hiding place. Unless he has someplace else to
go (the Prince family home?), he'll have to stay in the Riddle House
with Voldemort and the rat. That's assuming that Voldemort has any
further use for him now that Dumbledore is dead. His "useful role as
spy" (for either side) is certainly gone. Regardless of what he
himself wants to do (I happen to think it's help to bring down
Voldemort, which is more than a bit difficult in his present
circumstances), he's trapped by the consequences of his own actions
(on the tower and at Spinner's End).

What happens next? Is he still bound by the vow to protect Draco, even
though Draco is now a "man," having turned seventeen on June 5? Will
he become involved in a plot to rescue the DEs from Azkaban (and maybe
sway their allegiance away from Voldemort)? Will he find a way to
communicate with the Order if he can still conjure a Patronus? Sure,
he's clever and he can probably elude the Aurors by Apparating, but he
has to live somewhere. Even if he has gold (rewarded by Narcissa or
Voldemort), he can't spend it--or send PP, another wanted man, to
spend it for him. And AFAWK, he isn't an Animagus or Metamorphmagus,
so in a way he's even worse off than Sirius Black in GoF. (I know the
Sirius fans think that's only fair, but I'm not concerned about
fairness or Snape's character traits/morality here.)

I think JKR plans to give Snape an important role (one crucial scene,
at least) in Book 7, but how can she keep him safe and alive till then?

Does anyone have any ideas (at least remotely supportable by canon so
we won't be sent to OTChatter by the Elvses) as to what Snape is
likely to do next (assuming that he's not immediately killed or sent
to Azkaban, in which case his fate is a nonissue)?  Will he stay at
Spinner's End with Peter (surely a risky proposition), move in with
Voldy, share a cozy hideaway with Bellatrix in that secret room under
the drawing room in the Malfoy manor, fly to Egypt on Buckbeak? (Just
joking on that last one.)

One thing's for sure--even if he doesn't feel remorse for killing DD
(and I think he already feels it), he's going to regret what the loss
of his security, safety, and freedom.

Carol, really wondering how JKR can pull off Snape's survival, which
is crucial to his confrontation with Harry and to his redemption (if
it happens)