SOFAS theory (was Re: Son of Snape?)

[juli17ptf]

No: HPFGUIDX 154218

Here's my theory, one I came up with one night last month while 
unable to sleep (because of jet lag while on vacation, happily not 
ongoing insomnia). While this theory violates nothing in canon, it's 
still not likely to appear in Book 7 since few of our theories 
actually coincide with JKR's fertile imagination ;-) At the very 
least it could make a nice fanfic if I ever got around to it...

We start with Florence and Snape, kissing (yep, in *that* scene). I 
postulate that Florence was a Slytherin and a Malfoy in blood if not 
in name (first cousin to Lucius). Also a Malfoy in looks, with pale 
blond hair and gray eyes. Snape's crush on Lily (if it existed) is 
over. She chose James after all, proving she is a girl with no taste 
whatsoever. Snape and Florence become a couple naturally, because of 
their shared Slytherin ties, their common connection with the 
Malfoys, and because they share a genuine affection for each other. 

Soon after Hogwarts they both join Voldemort, Florence perhaps 
because of family influences, and Snape for his own reasons. 
Voldemort himself gives approval of their union so they marry. Snape 
makes potions for Voldemort--life-extending elixirs and probably 
deadly potions that Voldemort can use against his enemies. And of 
course he overhears part of the prophecy and reports it. Florence 
does...er, something. But both become disenchanted with Voldemort 
before too much time passes. Whatever freedom and autonomy from the 
societal strictures of the WW they expected with Voldemort aren't 
forthcoming. Snape knows full well leaving isn't an option. Look what 
happened to Regulus. He can hide his doubts and his growing disgust 
via Occlumency, but Florence isn't so good at it.

At some point Voldemort decides Florence has betrayed him, in thought 
if not in action. There is only one fate for betrayal. But perhaps 
Snape needs a lesson too, and Voldemort wants proof of *his* loyalty 
even if his wife has turned away. The lesson comes via Voldemort's 
method of disposing of Florence, via one of the deadly potions Snape 
has concocted for him. It causes Florence a slow, painful death, and 
Snape can do nothing to stop it. What he doesn't know, and what 
Voldemort doesn't know, is that Florence is pregnant. She begs Snape 
to save their baby before she dies. 

Now, Snape doesn't have the ability to save their baby on his own, 
but he knows someone who can help him, an old friend (once) from 
school. Lily. Between her skill with charms and his healing ability, 
they can save the baby. Whatever their past differences, she's 
willing to help him (though wisely she keeps it from James). But the 
baby is no more than a tiny fetus that needs another womb to grow in 
(NO, NOT Lily's--what are you thinking?!!!). 

Enter Narcissa. Narcissa and Lucius have been trying to get pregnant, 
but it hasn't happened. (They are years older than Lily and James 
remember, so could have been married a while without conceiving). The 
idea of Lucius not having an heir would be devastating. Narcissa 
hates Lily, but she's willing to do whatever it takes to get that 
baby she hasn't been able to conceive with Lucius. And Florence is a 
Malfoy by birth, so Narcissa trust the baby's genes to pan out. 
Lucius need never know (and quite possibly Narcissa won't either once 
the fetus is implanted in her womb, should Snape wisely choose to 
obliviate her). 

So it goes. Snape gives up his baby, aware that Voldemort would 
insist the baby die with its mother if he knew, and aware that he can 
never claim the child once it's born. But at least the child will 
live. His wife dies, yet he knows he remains tied to her killer, as 
he sees no way out except in the same manner as Regulus and Florence. 
Perhaps it is Lily who reminds him there are always choices, even if 
he coldly disagrees. But he does not forget Lily's help this night, 
even as he returns to Voldemort, denouncing his faithless wife and 
cementing the Dark Lord's belief (for the moment anyway) in his deep 
devotion. 

Narcissa "discovers" her pregnancy, and some 6 months or so later 
Draco Malfoy is born, heir to an old and proud pureblood wizarding 
family. And less than 2 months later Harry Potter is born. Is this 
when Voldemort interprets the prophecy to indicate that Harry Potter 
is the boy who threatens his power, the boy who must be eliminated? 
Quite probably, and when Voldemort informs Snape, it is the moment 
Snape finally makes a choice, driven not only by a simmering if well-
occluded desire for revenge, a life debt to James Potter he is 
determined to honor even while he hates the man, as well as a need to 
return the favor to the woman who saved *his* son, but also perhaps 
by a level of disgust at his own part in Voldemort's evil designs 
that he can no longer tolerate. He goes to Dumbledore. 

Dumbledore accepts Snape's story, believing not only Snape's regret 
over everything he's done, but receiving Snape's open gesture of 
faith in telling Dumbledore the secret of his son's existence. If 
Snape can trust Dumbledore with his son's life, than Dumbledore can 
trust Snape in turn with the Order's secrets. Snape becomes a spy, 
and Dumbledore's man, and watches his son grow up in the Malfoy home. 
He never overtly tries to sway Draco from Lucius Malfoy's point of 
view, because he cannot take the risk not just of his own life, but 
of Draco's life. Better to work covertly to earn the boy's trust and 
affection (in moments we--and Harry Potter--wouldn't be privy to) 
until the day his hand is forced and he must hope that bond between 
them will be strong enough to bring Draco to his side. 

Well, that's pretty much my theory of how Draco can be Snape's son 
and look like Lucius (Draco is still a Malfoy through his real 
mother), how Narcissa can either keep the truth a secret in her own 
self-interest or even not know the truth, and how JKR can say Snape 
doesn't have a daughter without spilling the beans. And I haven't 
even gotten to Snape's side of the family, Eileen Pince, with her 
uncles Albus and Abelforth, but that's enough for one theory! Call it 
S.O.F.A.S (Son of Florence and Severus).


Julie
(going to bed now)