Snape's supposed involvement in the murder of Sirius

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 169178

> Carol responds:
> In which case, how do you explain that Snape specifically requested
> Black to remain at home and wait for Dumbledore?

Neri:
Really, after Snape goading Sirius about being a coward and staying at
home the whole year, his "request" from Sirius to remain at home at
such a moment was the best way to ensure that Sirius will go to the DoM. 


> Carol: 
> What else besides "Black was at Hogwarts in dog form" could Snape tell
> him? Maybe that he was sent to Lupin's to recruit "the old crowd"
> (most of whom probably still thought that he was the "murderin'
> traitor")? Snape could, in such a case, truthfully claim that he had
> provided information on Black.

Neri:
I'm not sure you understand my point here. It's not necessary at all
that Snape's information was specifically about Black. Snape doesn't
say so himself. What he says to Bella is that his information
"certainly helped in disposing of Black", not that it was *about*
Black. So if the information was, for example, necessary to set up the
DoM operation, and the only positive (from the DEs point of view)
result of the DoM operation was disposing of Black, then after the
event Snape can rightly claim that his information helped in disposing
of Black. Or, alternatively, if Snape was specifically ordered to send
the Order members to the DoM so they get killed or captured, then by
doing so he's helping in disposing of Black. 


> Carol: 
> He could also, BTW, have named Emmeline
> Vance as a member of the reconstituted Order (which seems like the
> sort of information he would need to provide to maintain his cover and
> gain what passes for Voldie's trust) and claim (with some truth) that
> that information led to her capture and death. He need not have
> provided any more information than that.

Neri:
In that case I'd say his claim is correct. His information did lead to
Vance's capture and murder. Oops
 


> Carol: 
> Bellatrix, remember, is on the outs with Voldie, and even if she
> weren't, she wouldn't dare to say to ask Voldemort if Snape's
> assertions are true.

Neri:
I don't see why wouldn't Bella ask Voldy "was Snape's information
helpful in disposing of Black? He told me that it was". This doesn't
imply that Snape is lying to Voldy, it only implies that he's lying to
Bella. Bella can also ask other DEs, and in fact Snape challenges her
to do just that. And Bella knows the DoM operation closely (and so
does her sister) because she took part in it before she was on the out
with Voldy.  And Snape's "certainly" suggests that Bella has enough
information to assess the truth of this particular claim herself.  


> Carol, who thinks that we should stay with canon here, and canon
> blames Kreacher for revealing the Harry/Sirius relationship
>

Neri:
Umm, why ever should we stay with canon here? Haven't Snape killing
Dumbledore in the end of the last book raised a few doubts regarding
his loyalty? And since then JKR didn't have time to revisit his part
in MoM battle. Isn't it time for reassessment?

And lets admit it, Kreacher has always been a rather lousy mystery
villain, especially in comparison with Quirrellmort in SS/PS,
Diary!Tom in CoS, Scabbers!Peter in PoA and Crouch!Moody in GoF. I
don't know any reader who was really surprised when it turned out
Kreacher was the bad guy. After OotP I think most of us just assumed
that JKR was losing her touch in regard to villains and mystery plots.
But shouldn't we consider the possibility that she actually got
sneakier, and Kreacher was in fact more of a red herring than the real
villain?


Neri