Severus Snape;a skilled Legilimens

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 180061

biancawatanabe_123wrote:
>
> It was stated in OOTP that Snape could read other people's minds
just like LV.  Then why is it that in the SS, when LV was sharing his
body with Quirrel, he didn't realize that Snape was faithful to
Dumbledore?
> And in the GOF when Barty Crouch Jr. was stealing boomslang skin,
lacewing flies and other ingredients to make Polyjuice Potion from
Snape, why did Snape suspect Harry of stealing them when he could just
read Harry's mind and figure out if it was really him all along who
was stealing?

Carol responds:

Why would Snape's ability to use Legilimency enable Voldemort (who,
BTW, was in the *back* of Quirrell's head) to read snape's mind? Snape
could have used Legilimency on Quirrell and Occlumency against him. As
for not realizing that Harry hadn't stolen the Polyjuice ingredients,
Harry was thinking about Hermione stealing them in second year and
Dobby stealing the gillyweed, both of which would confirm Harry's
involvement in Snape's view. Snape also knew, of course, that they
Polyjuice ingredients went missing and his office was broken into on
the same night that Harry was out of bed late, his presence revealed
by the egg and the Marauder's Map. Harry, of course, did not know that
it was Fake!Moody who broke into Snape's office, so Snape wouldn't be
able to read the identity of the true culprit in his mind.

Carol, who should be editing rather than catching up on posting!