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Severus Snape: I've Got Your Number
by Cooper
August 4, 2004
Before we can understand a character's motives, we have to look at their summarized biography. Here is the life of Severus Snape, condensed:
Severus Snape goes to Hogwarts, where he is extremely unpopular and is constantly picked on by the arrogant James Potter and Sirius Black. He really despises both of them, and probably Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, by association. He was a good student, but he dabbled in the Dark Arts. At an undisclosed time after leaving Hogwarts, he joined Voldemort's side, and became a Death Eater. He was bad, but he switched over to the good side - and Dumbledore believed he was sincere. Then Voldemort was defeated, and Snape began teaching at Hogwarts. Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts a few years later, and Snape hates him. In Harry's fourth year, Dumbledore asks Snape to do something, which is to presumably spy on Voldemort, based off of Snape's remarks to Harry during the Fifth Year. Snape can also lie to and deceive Voldemort, being a skilled Occlumens. We don't know if he can lie to Dumbledore. At any rate, Snape once tried to protect Harry from Voldemort, who was then living in a turban. Also, now the two people Snape hates the most, James and Sirius, are dead.
It is also widely accepted that Voldemort described Snape as having left him forever, and proclaimed that Snape should "be killed, of course." Voldemort doesn't usually back down on his death threats, but if there's one thing we know about Slytherins, it's that they're ambitious. The question a Slytherin would ask is, "What can I do for me?" So what can Voldemort gain from not killing Snape, and allowing him back into his ranks? A whole lot - namely, information about Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and Harry Potter.
Now, we can ask the same question of Snape. What can Snape gain from being a Death Eater? Revenge against James and Sirius...yes, that's true...but mostly he'll just be a nobody in the ranks of evil. What can Snape gain from switching to the good side? Fortune, fame, appreciation - things he's never had before. But a Slytherin wouldn't settle for just fame, or just revenge. He'll take both. Consider this scenario:
Snape remains with the Death Eaters long enough to do a little spy work, so he can help Voldemort kill James Potter, who has currently evaded the Dark Lord thrice. One night, he's spying in the Hog's Head, when he hears a rather interesting prophecy about the Dark Lord and his weakness. He gets kicked out, and Dumbledore (who was listening to the Prophecy) doesn't even know it was him. He goes straight to Lord Voldemort, but, realizing that the Prophecy probably refers to Harry, Snape decides to tweak the wording a bit, and he sends Voldemort after the Potters. Snape, realizing that he needs to get on the good side while he can, meets up with Dumbledore and tells him that Voldemort is going after the Potters. Wormtail breaks the Fidelius Curse, and kills James. Snape's a happy camper, his plans are going well, but why not make them a little better? He arrives on the scene of the crime, and convinces Wormtail to frame Sirius. After all, could Wormtail have thought of that all by himself? Snape gets the heck out of there, and then he gets wind that Voldemort is dead. Shoot! He was supposed to get the credit for defeating Voldemort, for being a spy...but who got all the credit instead? Harry Potter.
Now, this makes Snape's behavior in book one slightly more explainable. It seems to me that Snape really didn't seem to give James Potter any credit whatsoever for saving his life. Perhaps Snape felt a twinge of guilt for being responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents, and Harry's attempted murder, and ergo he decides to make restitution by saving Harry's life from Quirrell.
This also gives Snape's hatred for Harry more depth - it's jealously. The "celebrity" comments make more sense: in Snape's eyes, he should have been the celebrity, not Harry.
Remember how Snape was sticking his big nose all over the place in the Prisoner of Azkaban? Well, he didn't want anyone to figure out his secret, did he? And telling Fudge that Harry was under a Confundus Curse would have voided Snape's involvement in James's death, which for all Snape knew, was revealed by Wormtail in the Shrieking Shack.
But let's continue on, to Harry's fourth year.
Voldemort's back. He's using the Dark Mark to call the old Death Eaters. When Voldemort gets his body, Dumbledore sends Snape straightaway to do some spywork. But Voldemort doesn't take kindly to people who don't drop what they're doing to greet him in the Graveyard. And after Snape tried to stop Quirrell, he's got some serious explanation to do. But Snape's an Occlumens, and an excellent liar. "My Lord, I didn't know you were with Quirrell - I thought he was trying to steal the stone for himself!" Pretty safe explanation. "And, I wanted to be on Dumbledore's good graces. I can tell you anything about Hogwarts, about Potter, about Dumbledore...Lucius knows I hate Dumbledore...ask him." Don't you see the clever web that's been spun? Snape appeals to Voldemort's desire to infiltrate Hogwarts; therefore, his life is spared. In order to keep Voldemort's trust, Snape has to be giving Voldemort some accurate information. But Dumbledore's smart enough to give him information that isn't very helpful.
Remember how Sirius was free and everything during Books 4 and 5? Snape wouldn't take kindly to that at all...why not rejoin Voldemort for real, and try to get Sirius.
Frankly, Snape is either a spy for Dumbledore, and spy for Voldemort, or a spy for both men - no one possibility is more likely than the next. So you can pick what you think - I've offered my humble opinions on that matter.
Remember how you don't die when a dementor kisses you, but you lose your soul, and are incapable of doing much? Remember how the person you're transforming into needs to be alive for the Polyjuice Potion to work? Well, it's also possible that Snape has been on the Dark Side impersonating Barty Crouch, Jr. How convenient it is that Crouch is incapable of telling Fudge the truth, but he's perfectly capable of being transformed into...and surely Voldemort would tell his "most faithful servant" some great information.
P.S.: Remember how JK said what your boggart turns into is important? I think Snape's afraid of discovery. Think how upset he got when Harry looked into the pensieve - what if Harry had seen a more revealing memory?
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