Black Widower!Snape - repost from TOL (long)

[dungrollin]

Here's a reworking of Kneasy's Black Widower!Snape theory (here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/111173 )
which I posted on TOL last October. Reposting it here on the off-
chance that anyone wants to take a pot-shot or two. (I know the canon 
endnotes are fiddly to refer to, but the whole post is almost 
illegible if I try to include them in the text.)

The premise is that Snape had a wife and/or child who was/were 
murdered by Voldemort, and that is the reason he returned to the good 
side, and the reason that he wears nothing but black. I should 
mention that Kneasy's post was very much more like Out-For-Himself!
Snape, whereas this version is decidedly DDM (I can't help it, you 
know). 

The two major bits of relevant canon we were given in HBP are:
1. Snape was the eavesdropper.[1] 
2. When Snape realised how Voldemort was interpreting the prophecy, 
his remorse made him 'return' to the good guys' table.[2]

Let's begin by trying to put ourselves in Voldy's shoes. How would he 
interpret the scrap of prophecy which Snape brought him? [3] The 
thrice-defied part, in particular. We know, with the benefit of 20/20 
hindsight, and rather a lot of prompting from DD [4], that it applied 
to James and Lily and Frank and Alice, and that they were all four in 
the Order of the Phoenix, and must have interfered with Voldy's  
plans on at least three separate occasions, but it wouldn't 
necessarily have been immediately obvious to Voldemort at the time, 
at least six months before Harry was born. 

Just try to imagine for a moment that you're a power-hungry psychotic 
(easier for some than others) and someone has just told you a kid 
with the clout to pulp you is going to be born; you'd start getting 
twitchy around *any* pregnant women, wouldn't you? Oh, and you'd 
utterly forbid the minion who brought you the news to tell anybody 
else.

So let's say that it's about now that Snape's wife [5] discovers that 
she is pregnant. Narcissa's pregnant too! How nice. Snape works out 
immediately that both children are due at the end of July. Lucius is 
his friend [6], Snape warns him of the problem, and tells him the 
first two lines of the prophecy [7], pleading with him to not let 
Voldemort know that Narcissa is pregnant, because it will put her in 
danger. But Snape is too late, Voldy already knows that the Malfoys 
are expecting the patter of tiny feet. 

The two couples are understandably worried, Voldemort has not told 
Snape anything about how he's interpreted the prophecy, so Snape has 
*no clue* what he intends, and no clue exactly how he's reading `as 
the seventh month dies'. At the beginning of June, Lucius and/or 
Narcissa panic and induce their baby early (however they do such 
things in the WW). Draco is born dangerously premature on June 5th, 
[8] but it's better that he should struggle through his first year of 
life (Magical Medicine should be enough to see him through) than that 
Voldy should even consider the possibility that he's the prophecy 
baby. 

The Malfoys are very grateful to Snape for the warning he gave them, 
and know that he's risked a lot for them by disobeying Voldy's 
command to tell no one about the prophecy. The Snapes, for some 
reason (difficult pregnancy?) do not want to risk inducing their baby 
prematurely. They've got around the problem so far by not letting it 
get out that Mrs Snape is pregnant, so Voldy doesn't know. 

Then catastrophe. Regulus.[9] Dear old Regulus can't handle it and 
wants out of this Death Eating lark, or at least, that's what he 
tells Snape. Naturally, Voldy wants Regulus as dead as he can be in 
as short a time as possible. Reg doesn't tell Snape about the Horcrux 
[10], because he doesn't want Snape in trouble with Voldy, and Snape 
doesn't tell Reg about the prophecy, for similar reasons. 

Snape and Reggie are old pals, united in their hatred of Sirius at 
school, so Snape (foolishly – he hasn't learned too much about Voldy 
yet) tries to help Reg, save him, hide him, whatever. Voldemort knows 
that Snape and Regulus are thick as thieves, so he questions Snape, 
who is still wet-behind-the-ears, [11] and as yet unable to hide his 
lies with Occlumency [12]. Voldemort knows he's lying, Regulus is 
quickly discovered and killed within days of Voldy shouting "Off with 
his head!" [13]

Voldemort is therefore very much displeased with Snape. He orders 
Snape to be killed (that'll learn him!). However, Lucius Malfoy, 
still grateful to Snape for his tip off about the prophecy, 
intervenes (at great personal risk) to persuade Voldemort to spare 
Snape. Lucius's strategy involves pointing out to Voldy how very 
useful a talented young wizard like Snape could be. [14]

Unfortunately, in the process of defending and arguing for Snape, 
Voldemort, the expert Legilimens [15], discovers from Lucius that 
Snape has told him about the prophecy, and that baby Snape is due 
around the end of July, and they've kept it secret from him. So Snape 
has now defied Voldy a) by telling Lucius the prophecy when he was 
forbidden to; b) conspired to aid Regulus who Voldy wanted dead, and 
c) hidden away the fact that his wife's expecting a child at the end 
of July. Voldy is furious. 

But slippery old Lucius's words stay his master's hand in the end, 
Snape gets home one night to discover the dark mark above his home, 
and his wife and child, or his heavily pregnant wife, dead. Were they 
important enough to be killed by Voldemort himself [16], or did he 
get someone else to do it? Was Snape made to watch? Was he Imperio'd, 
and made to do it himself? 

But then, why on earth would Voldemort ever trust Snape again? Is he 
so blind as to not realise that killing people's families puts you in 
their bad books? Well, actually, he sort of could be. This is the 
height of his reign of terror, he's surrounded by people like Bonkers!
Bella, and Barty Crouch Junior, who don't blink at having family 
members slaughtered to ensure the continued rise of the dark order 
[17]. 

I don't think Voldy trusts anybody [18]. And since Bella certainly 
doesn't trust Snape [19], I don't see why Voldemort would. I think 
one of Voldy's aims in HBP (which I've gone on about before [20]) was 
to test Snape's loyalty - "He expects me to do it in the end, I 
think." HBP, 2:39). At the end of HBP, Snape has killed DD, the only 
one Voldemort ever feared. Voldy trusts him now, as much as he will 
ever trust anyone. He probably even respects Snape's apparent ability 
to not take the murder of his family personally – he's that kind of 
psycho.

Lucius has convinced him that Snape could be put to good use, that 
killing him would be a waste of a potentially good DE. So for a bit 
of fun, Voldemort sends him to DD to beg for the DADA job, and 
infiltrate Hogwarts with a mission similar to the one he gives Draco 
16 years later, the ultimate goal being to kill DD. Voldy is hoping 
or expecting that Snape will either be killed in the attempt, or 
suffer horribly from the DADA curse, or both. 

DD, however, suspects that Snape is a Death Eater (though he doesn't 
let on), and refuses him the job since he suspects that Snape is 
there on Voldy's orders. But he leaves options open, because he 
doesn't want Voldemort to kill Snape for failing to secure the job. 
Perhaps he says that he's already filled the post for that year, but 
cheerfully invites Snape to reapply in the future [21]. Voldy 
grudgingly gives Snape one more year's grace.

Snape is shattered by everything that has happened, and feels very 
much alone, but he is also learning quickly. He knows that if he 
tries to openly leave Voldemort, he'll be dead just like Regulus, but 
his hatred of Voldy begins to consume him. He starts using his 
cunning, and manoeuvres Voldy into teaching him Occlumency [22], so 
that he might better fool Dumbledore. 

It is now that he starts taking spying seriously, studying it, 
learning to hide his grief and pain at the fate of his family and 
friend, learning through Legilimency how to tell when somebody's 
lying. It has suddenly become so much more than the game he used to 
play at school, hoping to get the marauders expelled. 

He is therefore in a much stronger position when he discovers, months 
later, that Voldemort would very much like to kill the Potters and 
their son who was born at the end of July, because of the *same* 
prophecy which got his own wife and child killed. It is now that 
Snape realises he has a chance to do something, a chance for some 
cunning revenge on Voldy for the deaths of his wife, his child, and 
his friend Regulus, and a chance to pay back that bloody James Potter 
by saving his life [23]. 

Moreover, if he's very *very* careful, and if he can trust DD 100%, 
he might even be able to get away without being killed (not that I 
think it matters much to Snape whether he lives or dies at this 
point – he's realised that by joining Voldemort he has given up the 
possibility of an ordinary life; he may as well make his death mean 
something – like Regulus did). 

Who could turn that chance down? Well, probably some people, but I 
reckon it would have seemed very attractive to Snape. The timing 
coincides with the application time for the DADA job [24], so he has 
cover for going to DD. DD then teaches Snape Occlumency too, and 
*that's* why Snape is so good, he was taught by both of the most 
powerful wizards alive.

And the rest is history. Working in a school, watching children 
growing up would have been torture. Every time he looks at Harry, he 
sees James, the man who was allowed to die defending his family, 
while Snape was forced to survive his family and always be alone. And 
of course, he always wears black.

Dungrollin

A smattering of canon and comments it puts an interesting spin on:
********************
"A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the 
Chamberitself." Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout 
clapped herhands over her mouth.Snape gripped the back of a chair 
very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"COS 16:not sure which page
********************
"That is just as well, Potter," said Snape coldly, "because you are 
neither special nor important
"- OotP 24:
********************
"The Dark Lord is very angry," repeated Snape quietly. "He failed to 
hear the prophecy. You know as well as I do, Narcissa, that he does 
not forgive easily."HBP 2:39
******************** 
"You should be proud!" said Bellatrix ruthlessly. "If I had sons, I 
would be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark 
Lord!"Narcissa gave a little scream of despair and clutched at her 
long blonde hair. Snape stooped, seized her by the arms, lifted her 
up and steered her back on to the sofa. He then poured her more wine 
and forced the glass into her hand.- HBP 2:39
********************

Endnotes – HPbook Chapter:UK page number.

[1] "Snape's what's happened! He told Voldemort about the prophecy, 
it was *him*, *he* listened outside the door, Trelawney told me!"- 
HBP 25:511.

[2] "You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he 
realised how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I 
believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason that 
he returned –"- HBP 25:513.

[3] "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches 
 
born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month 
dies
"- OotP 37:741

[4] "The odd thing, Harry," he said softly, "is that it may not have 
meant you at all. Sybill's prophecy could have applied to two wizard 
boys, both born at the end of July that year, both of whom had 
parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both sets of parents having 
narrowly escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course, was you. The 
other was Neville Longbottom."-OotP 37:742

[5] Have any of the Hogwarts professors had spouses?JKR: Good 
question - yes, a few of them, but that information is sort of 
restricted - you'll find out why
- Red Nose Day Chat, BBC Online, 
March 12, 2001.http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/0301-bbc-
rednose.htm

MA: Oh, here's one [from our forums] that I've really got to ask you. 
Has Snape ever been loved by anyone?JKR: Yes, he has
The Leaky 
Cauldron and MuggleNet interview, part 3, 16 July 
2005http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-
anelli-3.htm

[6] "Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's 
delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?"- Sirius – OotP 
24:460

 "Severus 
 please 
 you are, you have always been, Draco's favourite 
teacher 
 you are Lucius's old friend 
" - Narcissa – HBP 2:38

[7] "The Lestranges were sent after Neville to kill him. No, they 
weren't, they were very definitely sent after Neville's parents. I 
can't say too much about this because it touches too closely on the 
prophecy and how many people knew about it, but the Lestranges were 
not in on the secret.- JKR website, 
rumours.http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/rumours_view.cfm?id=25

So more than just Voldemort and Snape know of the existence of the 
prophecy *before* Voldemort's fall and subsequent rebirth. We know 
that all the DEs who turned up at the ministry knew of the prophecy, 
though not necessarily their contents. But for one amongst them, it 
was not news, and it was *not* Bella. Who? 

[8] Happy Birthday Draco Malfoy, June 5th.- JKR's website

[9] "[
] he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more 
likely; I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by 
Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in 
so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried 
to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to 
Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death." - Sirius – OotP 6:104

[10] "To the Dark LordI know I will be dead long before you read this 
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I 
have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I 
can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will 
be mortal once more.R.A.B"	- HBP 28:569.

There's loads of evidence that R.A.B. is Regulus, I didn't want to 
believe it for a while, but if you don't by now, you have a serious 
conspiracy-theory addiction. Seek help.

[11] "Yes, there was a commotion outside the door and it flew open, 
and there was that rather uncouth barman standing with Snape, who was 
waffling about having come the wrong way up the stairs, although I'm 
afraid that I myself rather thought he had been apprehended 
eavesdropping on my interview with Dumbledore [
]" - Trelawney – HBP 
25:509. 

Waffling about coming the wrong way up the stairs? That's such a lame 
excuse it makes me think either that it's not really Snape – someone 
else under Polyjuice, or that Snape was at this point rather wet-
behind-the-ears, with none of his future smooth brilliance at lying 
and concealing his intentions.

[12] "Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord!" said 
Snape savagely. "Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their 
sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad 
memories and allow themselves to be provoked so easily – weak people, 
in other words – they stand no chance against his powers!"- OotP 
24:473.

[13] "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. 
The DarkMark had been set over it - well, frankly, I'm surprised he 
stayedalive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; 
Sirius'sbrother Regulus only managed a few days as far as I can 
remember."- Lupin – HBP 6:103.

[14] How useful Snape could be
 Now what exactly was Voldemort using 
Snape for before he sent him to Hogwarts? Voldy's little Half-Blood 
Prince
 Well, he's talented at Potions and DADA, possibly at other 
subjects too. We have no further details, but it's plausible, 
possible and even probable that he was near the top of the class, and 
probably top amongst the Slytherins of his year. He certainly turned 
into a very capable adult. It's not an impossible case for Lucius to 
have made.

[15] "The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody 
is lying to him."- Snape – OotP 24:469.

[16] Was Snape's wife important enough to be killed by Voldy himself? 
To be honest, I'm torn
 Given that Voldy killed the Potters and tried 
to kill Harry himself, I don't think he'd be likely to give it to a 
junior DE who might have cocked it up, but on the other hand, if he 
*really* thought baby Snape was The One, he'd have wanted to make a 
Horcrux, wouldn't he? Perhaps he did anyway. We don't know.

[17] Bellatrix Lestrange, of course, did in Sirius, her cousin – OotP 
35:710; and Barty Crouch Jr. murdered his father – GoF 35:599. 
Neither of them seemed particularly upset about it.

[18] "I trust that you also noticed that Tom Riddle was already 
highly self-sufficient, secretive and, apparently, friendless? He did 
not want help or companionship on his trip to Diagon Alley. He 
preferred to operate alone. The adult Voldemort is the same. You will 
hear many of his Death Eaters claiming that they are in his 
confidence, that they alone are close to him, even understand him. 
They are deluded. Lord Voldemort has never had a friend, nor do I 
believe that he has ever wanted one."- Dumbledore – HBP 13:259-60.

[19] "[That] I don't trust you, Snape, as you very well know! [
] A 
hundred reasons! [
] Where to start! Where were you when the Dark 
Lord fell?"- Bellatrix Lestrange – HBP 2:30.

Actually, it seems that other DEs don't trust Snape either: "You can 
carry my words back to the others who whisper behind my back, and 
carry false tales of my treachery to the Dark Lord!" - Snape – HBP 
2:31.

[20] Voldy aims to test Snape's loyalty in HBP, amongst other 
goals.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/148303

[21] Actually there is no direct canon for Snape having applied for 
the DADA job the year before he started teaching potions, all we have 
are two seemingly conflicting bits of canon: "Now 
 how long have you 
been teaching at Hogwarts?" she [Umbridge] asked, her quill poised 
over her clipboard."Fourteen years," Snape replied. - OotP – 17:323.

"[
] the Dark Lord is pleased that I never deserted my post: I had 
sixteen years of information on Dumbledore to give him when he 
returned [
]"- Snape – HBP 2:32.

[22] We have no canon on whether it was Voldy or DD who taught Snape 
Occlumency, but given how good he is at it, I think most people agree 
that it wasn't some other random witch or wizard. Unless anyone's got 
an intriguing theory..?

[23] "[
]And then, your father did something Snape could never 
forgive.""What?""He saved his life.""What?""Yes..." said Dumbledore 
dreamily. "Funny, the way people's mindswork, isn't it? Professor 
Snape couldn't bear being in your father'sdebt....I do believe he 
worked so hard to protect you this year because hefelt that would 
make him and your father even. Then he could go backto hating your 
father's memory in peace...."- PS 17:217.

It's no fun hexing someone every time you see them if when it goes 
too far they do something so damn noble. Snape sees this very clearly 
as revenge for an insult. 

[24] The DADA job application. Ah yes. Well, we have no idea. Depends 
what happened to the last chap, I s'pose. But there's nothing in 
canon to rule it out. I think.