Snape and his use of "The Dark Lord"

[Deborah Krupp]

No: HPFGUIDX 167133

Tandra <tkjones9 at yahoo.com> wrote:                                  
 Ok so as I stated before I am reading OoTP over again and I don't know
 why I didn't notice it before but Snape calls Voldermort The Dark
 Lord every time he references him, and gets mad at Harry for using
 his real name. I just find it odd. I mean, everyone else either calls
 him "you know who" or by his name (to the dismay of others) It just
 makes me raise and eyebrow that Snape seems to reference him in this
 kind of reverence.
 
 Tandra  
 
Deborah writes:
After Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore realizes that Harry has a link to Voldemort.  Because of this it is necessary for Snape to always be a "Death Eater" in Harry's presence to protect his cover in case Voldemort is watching Snape through Harry.  Snape may well say Voldemort outside of Harry's presence, or he may always say the Dark Lord, so as not to become confused and slip.  I also wonder if when someone says Voldemort in the presence of a Death Eater, or if a Death Eater were to say Voldemort of his own volition, if Voldemort himself doesn't somehow hear it or know it through the Dark Mark.  

During the occlumency lessons, it seems Snape is teaching Harry, and Harry has learned the skill even if he has not mastered it.  Harry is able to both block Snape and enter Snape's mind himself.  Perhaps all Harry needs is practice and confidence, but Snape did teach him the skill.  This one-on-one tutoring seemed a risky business, which could endanger Snape if Harry were to actually treat Snape as a respected teacher or Order member, but could at the same time show Voldemort, if he happened to be looking, just how loyal Snape was to him.

As for "Snape's Worst Memory," I am of the opinion it was Snape's intent that Harry view it, just as Harry had peeked uninvited at a memory in Dumbledore's office before.  Harry needed to see Snape in a sympathetic light - this was not a memory that was bad for Snape, rather it showed James, Sirius, and Lupin as bullying gits.  It also showed James, who was a chaser, not a seeker, playing with a nicked Snitch, which has ties to Godric's Hollow.  This we learned was a habit of James, to play with that Snitch, just as it was to mess with his hair.  It is on my list of objects we will see in DH, which could well be important (I'm guessing it's a Horcrux, which I know is a long-shot.)

Deborah, who thinks it's especially important to remember that we see Snape through Harry's eyes, and that Voldemort may be seeing the same Snape Harry sees