Who has the last word on the foe glass? Was: More evidence for DDM!Snape

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 170631

Leslie41:

The foe glass is one of those objects that we will only be able to 
figure out completely when Book 7 comes out, it seems.  But it's a 
fascinating magical clue. 

Harry may tell others that the foe glass can be "fooled," but didn't 
he get that info from Fake!Moody?  Not that this completely discounts 
it, but it's not like DD told him that, is it?

What does Fake!Moody mean by this?  Does he have to "tweak" or fool 
the glass?  Is there anywhere it says that?  Or does it just 
recognize him as his new "owner"?  Does the foe glass show the people 
that are actually the owner's enemies (far more valuable), or does it 
show only those that the owner *thinks* are enemies? And if the foe-
glass mistakenly recognizes Barty Crouch Jr. as its new owner, or can 
be "tweaked" so easily, how far can it be trusted, period?  

Personally, I think that the foe glass is very effective in a limited 
fashion, if we don't try to push it too far.  That's not its purpose. 

Firstly, I think that the glass most obviously shows Fake!Moody's 
enemies, not the real Moody's.  Unless Rowling has some surprises in 
store for us, that's the easiest thing to figure.  What Fake!Moody 
did to ensure that, or whether he had to do anything, doesn't seem 
evident.  

I think, though, that the foe glass actually shows people that are a 
true danger to the owner, and not just a perceived danger. A foe 
glass that only showed who the owner *thought* was out to get him 
would be of very limited use, especially if the owner suffered from 
the least bit of paranoia.  We already know who we *think* hates us, 
after all.  

Other evidence for this is that Moody wasn't looking at the glass 
(was he?) when Snape, MgG and DD were on their way. I think the glass 
must be something like the Weasley's clock, which indicates "mortal 
peril" when family members are in danger, not just when Molly might 
*think* they are (in which case it would point to mortal peril all 
the time).    

Okay, so if the foe glass indicates the owner's true foes, doesn't 
that make Snape DDM?  Not necessarily.  I have to confess I'm a DDM 
Snape fan, but in this case I'm not sure that the foe-glass helps 
determine his side. It's not like Snape had any intention of *saving* 
Fake!Moody. Some characters and their motivations and actions are not 
either/or.  That's most especially true with Snape. For example: even 
if Snape is evil, would Bellatrix see him in the glass were he 
approaching her?  There's obviously no love lost between them.  She 
loathes him, and if he is Voldemort's lapdog (please, god, no), could 
he not bear special animosity towards her, and function as 
her "enemy"?  Certainly possible, no honor among thieves and all.  

Logically, I think the foe glass responds to a direct threat, not a 
more comprehensive one, thus Moody's comment on his enemies not being 
a danger until he saw the whites of their eyes.  Harry doesn't appear 
in the glass because at that point, he is no danger to Fake!Moody.  
Snape, McG, and DD *are* because they intend to rescue Harry and 
apprehend B. Crouch Jr.  Snape doesn't really have another choice in 
this case, even if he were to want to do things differently, which 
(considering Snape's feelings toward Bellatrix), I don't think he 
does.  Crouch seems to have the same sort of feelings toward former 
DEs that did not go to Azkaban that Bellatrix does. So Snape in the 
end is Fake!Moody's enemy, whether he is good or not.    

'Course this will all be moot in a month. But whether or not Snape is 
DDM, I think it makes perfect sense for him to show up in that glass.
(Even if I gave my copy of GoF long ago and I'm just trying to work 
from memory and common knowledge.)  Correct me please, if I'm 
misrepresenting the facts!