How will Snape come back?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 162617

chrusotoxos wrote:
>
> Assuming that Snape is on the good side and killed DD for a good
reason, how will he make his way back to the Order?
> 
> I think that there aren't a lot of possibilities here.
> 
> Either (a) he contacts a member of the Order and has suffcient proof
to convince him/her to trust him again; or he (b) contacts a student;
or (c) he contacts no one.

Carol responds:
I think you've covered all the bases here. ;-) Or maybe you haven't.
Maybe an Order member or a student witnesses Snape doing something
that can only be explained by his being on their side--healing Luna,
for example. Surely, Snape's healing skills will resurface in Book 7.

chrusotoxos:
> Imo, in (a) possibility he'll be forced to go to McGonagall - if he
contacts a member we know of, of course. Moody hates his guts;
Shacklebolt and Tonks are Aurors; of Lupin I'm sure he's still afraid.
Minerva Mcgongall has been his colleague for years, and she's 
probable the one who'll hear him out, especially if she's had a chat
with DD's portrait beforehand.

Carol:
McGonagall was quick to say that she trusted him  only because of
Dumbledore, which, I have to say, seems hypocritical of her since she
was quite willing to follow his lead in CoS regarding Lockhart before
she found out (through his own brave action in revealing his Dark Mark
to Fudge) that he'd been a Death Eater. Certainly, Dumbledore's
portrait could talk to her and explain that Snape is DDM! (but does a
protrait know the circumstances surrounding its subject's death?), but
I don't think that Snape would go to her. Certainly, he's not going to
be walking into Hogwarts and if he sent her an owl message, assuming
they're allowed, she'd probably tear it up. A Patronus message, maybe.
But what could she do to help him? Harry's not going to be at Hogwarts.

As for Mad-eye Moody, it was Fake!Moody who hated Snape as a DE who
walked free. The real Moody only expressed distrust of him in the GoF
Pensieve scene. I'm not sure that we've ever seen them interact or
talk about each other other than that scene. But Moody is paranoid and
trusts nobody, so I agree that Snape wouldn't go to him--or to Tonks
and Shacklebolt, and not just because they're Aurors. He has no
particular bond with them, and he did insult Tonks's Patronus--not the
best way to get on good terms with her. Besides, I don't think he
views either of them as particularly important or influential members
of the Order.

But Lupin? What makes you think that Snape, who tied Lupin up in the
Shrieking Shack when he thought he was the murderer Black's
accomplice, and has the upper hand over him by being able to make a
potion Lupin can't make for himself, is afraid of Lupin? IMO, Lupin
(assuming that Pippin is wrong about his being ESE!) is the very
person most likely to figure out that the AK that sent DD over the
wall wasn't a normal AK and start asking questions. He also knows
Snape better than any of the others, having gone to school with him
and been dependent on him for perfectly made Wolfbane Potions when
they were colleagues. He, too, wants Dumbledore's approval. More
important, he, too, has been a victim of the DADA curse. If anyone can
understand the predicament Snape finds himself in at the end of HBP,
it's Lupin, whose foolish decision to rush out on a full-moon night
without his potion led to the escape of Peter Pettigrew and,
ultimately, to the resurrection of Voldemort. (If Lupin isn't silently
kicking himself for that blunder, he's as ESE! as Pippin thinks.) And
Lupin is closer to Harry than any member of the Order besides the
Weasleys and tends to be more rational than most. Another possibility
is Arthur Weasley, who reacts to Dumbledore's death and to Greyback's
attack on his oldest son but doesn't say a word about Snape. And how
about Hagrid, the only person to put in a word in Snape's defense
without making excuses for himself?
> 
chrusotoxos:
> In (b) possibility, he'll probably use Draco somehow. He knows that
Harry can testify about the boy's lack of blood thirst, and he knows
that the Order wouldn't hurt an underage wizard anyway. Or, if JKR
wishes to please fanfiction authors all over the world, he'll contact
Hermione, the one most likely to hear him out.
> 
Carol:
I do think there's a possibility that Snape will take Draco, who is
also a wanted fugitive, under his wing. I'm certain that he protected
Draco from Voldemort by pointing out that he'd fixed the cabinet and
let the DEs in, making the murder of Dumbledore possible. I think that
Snape will persuade the Malfoys that Voldemort is not their friend and
will use them in some way to help him, and, of course, Harry, bring
the Dark Lord down. I imagine him engineering a prison break with
Bellatrix, all the while planning to subvert Lucius Malfoy, at least,
and get him to join the fight against the Dark Lord who sent his son
on a suicide mission. As for Snape reaching Hermione, I suppose
there's some hope. She alone of the Trio believed Dumbledore that he
was trustworthy, and (very oddly, given her year-long antagonism to
the HBP) she tells Harry after learning his identity that "evil is a
strong word" to describe the teenage inventor of Sectumsempra who grew
up to kill Dumbledore. I don't think that Snape will contact Hermione,
but she may start thinking about him and trying to get Harry to
understand his motivations. Maybe he'll send a changed Patronus and
she'll figure out whose it is and send him a message using her own. 

Redeemed!Hermione! (I don't like all the revenge she's been taking, so
if she's the one who convinces Harry that Snape is on their side, or
secretly works with him, I'll be happy.)

chrusotoxos:
> For (c) there is a prospect of huge duel scene at the very end, with
Snape suddenly switching sides and allowing Harry's victory. We've
seen this before (Last of the Mohicans, anyone?); it usually implies
lots of blood, repentance of the hero for his own selfishness and
great last words of the dying not-so-vilain.

Carol:
Or in LOTR? I think a Boromir-style repentance scene is what many fans
are expecting. I very much doubt that JKR will give us one.
Personally, I hope she finds a way to save Snape. But I don't doubt
for a moment that he'll be instrumental in the Horcrux hunt, as well
as in betraying Voldemrot to Harry at the last moment.
> 

> chrus, who keeps her fingers crossed for Hermione involvement but
secretly fears all will be known too late...
>
Carol, who hopes that either Lupin or Hermione will be the person who
works with Snape and hopes that Snape will be the narrator of the
obligatory expository scene near the end of Book 7