Re: Snape: evil or not evil?

Toon wrote:
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 02:40:41 BST, Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day
Slitheen <bffpds@raxacoricofallapatoria> wrote:
I certainly wouldn't cite it as proof that he was *unenthusiastic* about
the appointment; which I would take to mean that he was less than
pleased at the outcome!

No, unenthusiastic means that he did not display enthusiasm, which is
the case. And be that as it may, I wasn't claiming to know his inner
feelings, merely disproving Toon's claim that Snape was triumphant.


Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen

Except he's described as such.


If we take the information we already have, there are two facts:
1. DD knows the DADA position is cursed and teachers only stay for one
year
2. It's on Snape's record that he's been applying for the DADA position
consistently


Now taking the books as a whole story from one to six so far, my own
feeling is that:

DD was already on his Horcrux hunt (at least from the end of OOTP to
the beginning of HBP). He knew he needed Slughorn's full memory, not
just the "cut and paste" one. Harry would have to be the one to do it,
and it wouldn't be something that could be done in a short amount of
time. Hence, hiring him as potions master (a job at which he was very
adept) would be a logical step.
Where does that leave Snape now? IMO, I think DD would have preferred
to keep Snape at Hogwart's in his counterspy position for information.
However, at this stage in the series, he needed Slughorn's memory more,
so he was willing to sacrifice Snape. Now, there are two ways to go
here: Either Snape knew about the DADA position being cursed from DD
(my pov) or he knew about it because of rumor and gossip (IMO, less
likely). I think DD and Snape knew exactly what they were doing and
what they were going to do, having alternative plans in place for the
school year in case they needed them.

If Snape is "good" and has renounced his old ways (mentioned in a
different thread), why would he not think that he is the teacher best
suited for the DADA position? He was a death eater; he was with
Voldemort; he knows what the kids need to protect themselves.
It's quite possible that he did, year after year, apply for the
position, trying to convince DD to allow him to teach DADA (perhaps
also as a way to get out of Hogwarts and not spy on DD on a daily
basis) and DD always refused, knowing that it would be better to have
Snape teaching at the school in a steady position.

We also have to remember that it was Voldemort who wanted Snape at
Hogwarts to spy on DD and the Order. He certainly wouldn't want Snape
to have the DADA position, knowing that it was cursed and Snape would
only be there for one year It wasn't in V's best interest to have
Snape get that job.

As much as I really liked DD, when I look at the series so far as a
whole, I think DD used Snape for his own ends just as much as V, and
just as much as the MOM was conducting a smear campaign against Harry &
DD in OOTP for their own ends. The people in power, it seems, were
very manipulative (just as in "real life").

.

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