Snape at GH? (Was: Snape Loved or In-Love with Lily?)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 148634

Carol earlier:
> > Carol, once again asking 1) what purpose is served by having Snape
at Godric's Hollow, 2) how he could have been there when we know he
was teaching at Hogwarts at the time, 3) how and why PP would have
revealed the secret to him, and 4) what canon evidence can be shown to
indicate that he was there. <snip>

> Exodusts:
> 1) It cranks up the tension on Snape. It makes his guilt, shame and
horror feel all the greater, because he was right there. It makes him
hate Voldemort even more, because he saw him kill his beloved. It
provides another secret revelation to present to Harry near the climax.
> 
> 2) A quick run down to the gates and Apparition?
> 
> 3) In a note like the one DD used for 12 GOP. <snip>
> 
> 4) There is evidence from JKR's sinister refusal to comment that 
> *someone* was there.
>

Carol responds:
Thanks for answering. I'm not convinced, though, because Snape would
have had to know that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper and Sirius Black
was innocent, which would make his behavior throughout PoA a horrible
deception, an act that even he couldn't pull off convincingly. And I
don't think he could have kept that sort of secret from Dumbledore,
especially since he would have had to explain his presence at Godric's
Hollow to Dumbledore, and he would have had to leave Harry lying in
the ruins and then report the disaster to Dumbledore. The whole
scenario is simply not reconcilable (IMO) with DDM!Snape. And there's
really no reason for PP to inform him of the secret or to invite him
to participate in a murder that LV could commit all by himself. Lily
as reward for Snape is appalling, too, especially in a children's
series. Reward for what? Telling him the Prophecy, an action Snape
regrets? And surely he wouldn't expect Lily to love him or consider
him as her rescuer. It makes no sense, at least to me.

The Snape subplot is already sufficiently complex without his being at
Godric's Hollow, and he has plenty of grounds for remorse and
repentance without being involved in some way in the murder plot. So,
again, thanks for the explanation, but I'm not sold. I much prefer
Snape showing DD his disappearing Dark Mark at the same time DD
realizes through other means that the Potters are dead. Much simpler,
with no need to throw in a whole new subplot in Book 7. And it would
help to strengthen DD's trust in Snape, as his being at GH would not.

And someone else *was* at Godric's Hollow, the same person who
betrayed the Potters and picked up Voldemort's wand: Wormtail. There
is no canon evidence (I'm not talking about hints in interviews, which
may be equivocal) that Snape or any person besides LV, the Potters,
and Wormtail was present.

The last thing Snape needs is more guilt, shame, and horror. The
events on the tower will suffice.

Carol, not rejecting Snape's affection for Lily as possible and
partial grounds for his remorse, just firmly rejecting this particular
scenario as neither necessary nor plausible