Why does Snape wants DADA job if it cursed? WAS: Re: Snape again

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 148804

Alla:
> Suppose Dumbledore really did not want to give Snape the job even 
> during HBP AND at the beginning of HBP he informs Snape that he 
> believes that position indeed cursed.
> 
> What if Dumbledore simply decided again to let Snape make a 
> choice? What if he simply caved in to Snape's desire to teach
> DADA? Maybe he learned from concealing information from Harry and
> decided not to make the same mistake with Snape anymore? What if 
> Dumbledore put his cards on the table to Snape and told him that
> yes, I know that you wanted the position for fourteen years and
> that is the reason I was not giving it to you. I was trying to
> keep you safe in Hogwarts or something like that. You want it? I 
> can give it to you.
 
> I think giving Snape's arrogance(IMO of course), it would be 
> perfectly in character for Snape to take it, thinking that curse
> is just a gossip and other DADA teachers could not keep their 
> positions because they were incompetent fools or undeserving of it
> OR if Snape believes in curse that he can remove it.

Jen: This sounds perfectly in-character for both Snape and 
Dumbledore to me! JKR didn't make it sound like Dumbledore had ever 
told Snape the job was cursed in this response:

Jackson: "Professor Snape has always wanted to be Defence Against 
Dark Arts teacher. In book 5 he still hasn't got the job. Why does 
Prof Dumbledore not allow him to be Defence Against The Dark Arts 
teacher?"

JK Rowling: "That is an excellent question and the reason is that I 
have to be careful what I say here. To answer it fully would give a 
lot away about the remaining two books. When Prof Dumbledore took 
Prof Snape onto the staff and Prof Snape said 'I'd like to be Prof 
of Defence Against the Dark Arts please' and Prof Dumbledore felt it 
might bring out the worst in Snape so said 'I think we'll get you to 
teach Potions and see how you get along there'."  (Royal Albert 
Hall, June 2003)

Jen again: After HBP we know JKR was hiding information about the 
DADA curse with that answer, yet she says nothing to indicate 
Dumbledore and Snape *both* knew there was a problem with Snape 
getting the job. It sounded more one-sided: Snape continued 
requesting and Dumbledore continued denying.

My brain can spin all sorts of theories about why Snape got the 
position and for efficiency reasons my personal favorite is simple: 
Voldemort, for whatever twisted Dark Lord reason, said to 
Snape: "Get the DADA job or else", so Snape went to Dumbledore and 
said, "give me the DADA job or I'm a dead man" and Dumbledore 
said, "Hmm, compelling reason. OK."  Simple, efficient, and 
requiring only a modicum of explanation. 

Zgirnius' take on it in 147014 is good, Dumbledore needed a way to 
get Snape out of Hogwarts without Voldemort suspecting.

Favorite theories aside though, JKR's answer says to me the UV was 
Snape's own 'worst' doing, influenced by the DADA curse. In fact, we 
may have learned all there is to know! Maybe seeing the UV and 
finding out there really is a DADA curse is all we'll get, except 
possibly finding out Voldemort had a hand in there somewhere. 

Still, the idea Snape's hubris & the DADA curse trapped him in the 
UV and brought down Dumbledore with him is just so.....Snape. HE is 
jinxed. Harry may be wrong about this one, it may be the people 
Snape *loves* who end up dead, and because of his own costly 
mistakes.

Jen