Why Snape turned

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 159941


> montims:
> From Snape leaving
> Hogwarts to his taking the teaching job some 3 or 4 years pass - I 
wonder
> what he was doing - I can't imagine him working in a shop or in the
> Ministry, but equally I imagine he couldn't afford to be unemployed.  
I know
> (or believe) that there is nothing in canon, but can anyone speculate?
> 

zgirnius:
Well, in my fanfiction, I actually DO have him working in a shop, 
making Potions. I speculate that despite his talent, he could not land 
a prestigious job because of his lack of social connections and Muggle 
father. As you say, he could not afford to be unemployed.

However, since you expressed a dislike for that theory...he could also 
have been undergoing advanced training for a profession. I expect he 
had strong NEWT grades in Potions, Charms, and DADA at the very least. 
(Based on his ability to invent Potions improvements, spells like 
Muffliato, and Dark spells like Sectumsempra). Could he have had more? 
I would guess maybe Herbology, he seems to know his ingredients. Anway, 
if he had been an Auror in training, I think we would have heard of it, 
but the profession I'll suggest is Healing, perhaps specifically anti 
Dark Arts healing. He certainly seems to be an expert on it in HBP.