[HPforGrownups] Snape questions

[Hilton Hubbard]

No: HPFGUIDX 192761

Remember that at the beginning, Snape was on Voldemort's side, in all
sincerity. So his security checks would have shown that. And with
everything that happened to Lord V - the failed killing of baby Harry, the
half-life in exile, the return via Pettigrew, controlling former followers
who'd been disloyal/opportunistic, etc, etc - it's not surprising that he'd
take Snape pretty much at face value. He would have checked again,
post-graveyard, but having done so once, he'd probably not bother again.
His own arrogance wouldn't let him imagine he could be wrong.


Snape, as we know, didn't enjoy life. Every day, he blamed himself for
Lily's death. Every time he summoned a Patronus, it all came back. The
sight of Harry twisted the knife in that pain. And the life of a spy,
especially a double agent, is incredibly stressful. I don't think he'd be
inclined to fight death, and I think he'd welcome the thought that he'd
been instrumental in LV's downfall and a better future for the wizarding
world, as long as he didn't have to be part of it. He'd done enough.


Did he know about the Hallows? His mother would have told him the story,
but one doesn't expect to encounter, say, Cinderella's glass slipper or the
Princess's pea in real life. Dumbledore spotted the unusual properties of
James's invisibility cloak - would Snape have spared it a single scornful
thought? Presumably Dumbledore would have happened to mention that his wand
would pass to Snape and was very powerful, but he was if anything more
secretive than Snape himself so he might well not have actually named it.
It's hard to imagine most Slytherins not taking the opportunity to own and
control the Elder Wand, but Snape knew a thing or two about power and where
it leads, from his dealings with both LV and Dumbledore, and I don't
believe he'd want it. It couldn't give him what he'd always longed for,
anyway, so why bother? Once he'd undone the wrong he blamed himself for, by
ensuring a safe future for Lily's son, there was nothing left for him but
the escape of death. Sad ending, but the one he wanted. And I can't imagine
JKR imagining Snape waltzing off into the sunset, like Dorothy going down
the yellow brick road! He was what she'd made him, and though the force of
public opinion probably surprised her, I'm confident his end had been
planned pretty much from Day 1.


Deborah Hubbard
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://archive.hpfgu.org/pipermail/hpforgrownups/attachments/20150402/59eed697/attachment.html>