Chamber of Secrets and Snake err.... Snape

[exodusts]

No: HPFGUIDX 148062

> Karen wrote:
> OK, at the dueling club meeting Snape whispers something to Malfoy 
> when they are just supposed to be disarming. On the count of two 
> instead of 3, Malfoy throws the serpensatia spell creating the 
> snake. What was it Snape whispered to Malfoy? Do you think he gave 
> him the spell? Why? It certainly revealed a lot about HP to him. If 
> he is ESE!Snape, that would be a juicy tidbit for the Dark Lord. 
> Just interesting that that "whisper" was deliberately inserted by 
> the author. Red herring? Maybe.


Exodusts:

Consider this from Snape in HBP Ch2:

"I should remind you that when Potter first arrived at Hogwarts there 
were still many stories circulating about him, rumours that he 
himself was a great Dark wizard, which was how he had survived the 
Dark Lord's attack. Indeed, many of the Dark Lord's old followers 
thought Potter might be a standard around which we could all rally 
once more. I was curious, I admit it, and not at all inclined to 
murder him the moment he set foot in the castle. Of course, it became 
apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at 
all."

Snape probably set out to discover if Harry could speak Parseltongue, 
like Voldemort, although that doesn't necessarily indicate that he 
was still loyal to Voldemort. Note this from the CoS chapter:

"Snape stepped forward, waved his wand and the snake vanished in a 
small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an 
unexpected way: it was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry 
didn't like it."

Incidentally, some have argued that the sentence:

"Of course, it became apparent to me very quickly that he had no 
extraordinary talent at all."

is evidence that Snape is really Good, because he is essentially 
lying to Bellatrix. Harry's Parseltongue alone, which we KNOW Snape 
knows about, contradicts it, without having to consider anything else 
about Harry's abilities.