Snape contiued (was Re: XPOST: Lupin is Ever So Evil Part One -- The Prank )

[nkafkafi]

> > > Eloise:
> > > 1) Would the parents governors accept an ex-DE on the staff of 
> Hogwarts?
> > 
> > 
> > Neri:
> > We have this problem in any case, because it looks like Snape was
> > already a teacher at Hogwarts during Karkaroff's trial, and none of
> > the 200 wizards present seemed to object. Also, the Durmstrang's
> > governors later made Karkaroff a *Headmaster*.  
> 
> Eloise:
> 
> But given the reputation of Durmstrang, I don't think there would be 
> as much of an outcry there. 


Neri:
Granted, Durmstrang is much more Dark Arts oriented than Hogwarts. But
still, Karkaroff as a Headmaster was invited to Hogwarts for the TWT
with great honor, together with several Dark Arts trained students,
and I don't recall any objections from worried parents. The WW seems
to have a great capacity to accept ex-DE teachers, much more than
accepting, say, werewolf teachers. 


> > 
> > > Eloise:
> > > 2) Why doesn't Sirius know that Snape is a DE? He heard stuff in 
> > > Azkaban, but apparently *nothing* about Snape.
> > 
> > 
> > Neri:
> > I have a theory that explains this mystery and several others. It is
> > detailed in:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hogs_Head/message/2772
> > But briefly, it suggests no DE in Azkaban knew about Snape because 
> all
> > the DEs that Snape knew (apparently Malfoy, Crabbe. Goyle, Avery, 
> Nott
> > and Macnair) got a free ticket out of Azkaban. Snape himself, under
> > DD's orders, had told the Ministry that they were not DEs. This was
> > calculated in order to gain their good opinion, so they will help
> > warming Snape's way back into Voldy's trust once he's back. 
> 
> Eloise:
> But Crouch Jr was, for at least a time, in Azkaban with Sirius and 
> apparently *he* knew from the uncomfortable pyjama party he had with 
> Snape on the staircase in GoF. Unless, of course he'd found some 
> record about him in Moody's possession.


Neri:
Crouch Jr. didn't have to search Moody's records. He had a connection
with Voldy himself shortly before (and during) he came to Hogwarts.
Now, I think we can safely assume that Voldy, for one, knew Snape was
a DE <g>.

But if Crouch Jr. knew Snape was a DE even *before* GH, then this
knowledge would likely to be mutual. That is, Snape would also know
that young Barty was a DE. If so, why wasn't Barty arrested before the
attack on the Longbottoms, and why didn't DD know if young Barty was
guilty or not? The likely explanation is that Snape and Barty didn't
know eachother's identity. 


 
> > Neri:
> > <snip> But Fudge didn't 
> demand
> > Snape will be arrested, investigated or anything of the sort.
> 
> Eloise:
> Although he said he would investigate the running of the school, 
> which can be taken to mean who Dumbledore appoints, amongst other 
> things.

Neri:
This would have been a good point if Snape was one of the most wanted
in Umbridge's list in OotP. Unfortunately, he was actually her
favorite, at least until he failed to supply her with veritaserum
again. As a whole, I'd say Fudge's reaction (or mostly lack of
reaction) to Snape's dramatic "confession" in the end of GoF is much
more realistic if he already knew that Snape was an ex-DE.  
 
> Eloise:
> <snip>
> Also, remember that Siurius seems to have been doing some 
> investigating since he's been out of Azkaban. He seems quite well 
> informed, but has no inkling that Snape was a DE. He has *no 
> knowledege that Snape was ever accused of being a DE* and cannot 
> believe that Dumbledore would ever hire him if he'd ever worked for 
> Voldemort (GoF UK hb, 461).

Neri:
Sirius didn't know anything about Ludo Bagman too (p. 524 in the US
edition), and yet Bagman's trial wasn't such a secret at all. Rita
Skeeter was present in this trial, and she seems to remember it quite
well, because she says to Hermione (p. 451) "I know things about Ludo
Bagman that would make your had curl". Yet Sirius didn't know anything
about it, so apparently  he wasn't *that* well-informed about anything
that happened out of Azkaban.

 
> Eloise:
> Interesting, though that in the Sirius-Snape baiting session in OoP, 
> the basis of Snape's taunts is that Sirius has to stay in hiding, 
> whilst he doesn't. And as Pippin said, 
> 
> >>What Death Eater wouldn't want the glory of picking him off?
> Lucius especially -- he needs to convince the Master that he's
> serious about Death Eating, after that fiasco at the QWC.<<
> 

Neri:
This could be a typical JKR misleading. There's nothing in Snape words
that actually shows *he* is outside there doing fieldwork. Snape words
only suggest that *he* is useful, that *he* is doing something
important. He also knows Lucius identified Padfoot at the Hogwarts
Express dock, but how does he know it? Because he's still friends with
Lucius, or because he's been sitting at Hogwarts and doing some
eavesdropping to channels only he has access for? 

I find it interesting that Snape is *never* said to be absent from
Hogwarts, except once or twice giving a report in GP. He never misses
a class. It's never told that he's away. Even during his end-of-GoF
"mission", I couldn't find a single suggestion that he was actually
absent from Hogwarts. One wonders when does he do all his chumming up
with Lucius and the other DEs?   

> Eloise:
> Yet Sirius taunts *Snape* with being Lucius'lap dog.

Neri:
Yes, and even more than that, Umbridge says that Lucius "always speaks
very highly" about Snape. These are the certainly the best indications
that Snape *is* doing fieldwork out there, but then you still have to
explain why Voldy accepted him back. 

But perhaps the main reason I'm suspicious about this possibility is
that Harry was the first to suspect it. Already at the end of GoF,
when Harry sees Snape at the teachers' table, he asks himself "was
that [spying against Voldemort] the job he had taken up again? Had he
made contact with the Death Eaters, perhaps? Pretended that he had
never really gone to Dumbledore?" We all know what usually happens to
Harry's first impressions. 

Neri