Why does Snape wants DADA job if it cursed? LONG

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 148823

> Sydney:
> -- adding  Jen's theory:
> 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.

> Ceridwen:
> We can put some other things in HBP toward this one, I think.  
> Wormtail is living at Snape's house.  Some of us believe he's
> there to spy on Snape.  Now I'm wondering if the spying, if it's
> true, has more to do with Snape getting the job?  Did LV just get 
> tired of excuses and say it had to be done?  Does he doubt Snape's 
> sincere efforts? [ ] Is the curse there to do Dumbledore in?  It's
> had its chances... 

Jen: Now *this* would qualify as a twisted Dark Lord motivation in 
my book; I'm going to place my bets here, Ceridwen. Plus this would 
make sense of the moment in Dumbledore's office when Voldemort 
appeared to be considering pulling his wand. "No, not here where 
he's protected, but he'll rue the day he defied me!" The more I 
think about it, the more compelling it becomes--if Dumbledore won't 
let Voldemort back into Hogwarts, then Dumbledore won't be able to 
stay there, either.

As for why this would be enough motivation, I think the visit to see 
boy Riddle in chap 13 might explain it. He gets obsessively attached 
to things and felt the same way about Hogwarts. I believe he felt 
that as Slytherin's heir he belonged there much more than 
Dumbledore. And can I add that it would infuriate him Gryffindor's 
heir, Dumbledore, would get to stay at the castle while he was cast 
out just like his ancestor? No, I won't let that one die <g>.

If it was a curse that could die with the caster as we found out in 
HBP can happen, then it might have weakened during the years 
Voldemort was vapor. The year of Umbridge with Voldemort returned 
was definitely the worst for Dumbledore, being discredited in the WW 
and sent into hiding. And notice how Dumbledore rebounded only when 
Umbridge herself was brought down by the curse? 

Ceridwen:
> Anyway, if the curse is there to get Dumbledore out, then someone 
> tied to LV (Snape has the Dark Mark, and is at least supposedly 
> working for LV) would finally get it done, even if he or she
> didn't want to.  Maybe that's the nature of the curse, and now 
> that Dumbledore is no longer headmaster, the curse is over.
> *Maybe*.

Jen: This makes sense to me because it could also explain why the 
DADA's before Voldemort-as-vapor didn't bring Dumbledore down, that 
because Dumbledore is so powerful, it took the synergistic effect of 
two to work. I think this adds more weight to the idea Voldemort was 
involved in the UV, even if it was only indirectly by forcing Snape 
into the DADA, and that he certainly viewed Snape as both powerful 
enough to complete the task and completely expendable. Now I'm 
pretty certain Draco was merely a decoy (and delicious punishment): 
He kept Dumbledore busy until the end and probably proved once again 
to Voldemort that love is only the road to death.

Jen R.