[said-snape-softly]

Masterlist

Links to my meta, headcanons, observations and discussions about HP characters, mainly Snape. Not comprehensive, but somewhere to start!

I also reblog other users’ meta under #hp meta or #hp thoughts.

Vocal Descriptor Analyses:

Said Snape

Said Malfoy

Said Voldemort

Snape:

Snape’s first appearance in Chamber of Secrets

Felix Felicis hints at Snape's loyalties

Perspective-taking: POA Snape

Snape's feelings about the Half-Blood Prince are complicated

Snape's fear of Voldemort

Snape probably wasn't in the Slug Club

Snape's other Pensieve Memories (@sideprince's original post)

Snape rejects his past blood prejudice

Teaching DADA in potions

Snape's work for the Order

Thoughts on Snape's personal vs professional relationship with Order members (@severus-snaps's original post)

Snape and drink: canon mentions + headcanon

Headcanon: Snape’s return to Grimmauld Place as a message to Harry

Snape & Dumbledore:

How Dumbledore's death speaks to Snape's moral evolution

Snape kills Dumbledore knowing it will result in his own death / Dumbledore asking Snape to kill him reflects Dumbledore's faith in his redemption

Snape and Dumbledore weren't feuding in GOF

Snape & Harry:

Clashing communication styles (@lines-in-limbo's original post)

Occlumency, projection, and connection (@seriousbrat's original post)

Occlumency lessons mark a shift in Snape's attitude towards Harry

Snape & Sirius:

Grimmauld Place & Spinner's End parallels

Albus Dumbledore:

Dumbledore’s first appearance in Philosopher’s Stone

Barty Crouch Jr:

Master of Manipulation Part 1: The Four Champions

Master of Manipulation Part 2: The Egg & The Eye 1

Barty was not openly rebellious as a teen

Voldemort:

Voldemort's first line in The Dark Lord Ascending

Musings about Peter Pettigrew's defection

Why did Voldemort agree to spare Lily's life?

Did Voldemort teach Snape unsupported flight?

"Only then will the Dark Lord trust you completely": a misunderstanding of Voldemort and a flattening of Dumbledore & Snape

Timeline of Voldemort hunting down the Potters

Miscellaneous:

Pensieve memories are accurate and objective

On Lily & James Potter

A data-driven look at bowing in wizarding culture

Questions for the fandom:

How much of Snape & Draco's relationship is genuine?

Half-Blood Prince edition differences in the Lighting Struck Tower

How does Moody's Grimmauld Place curse work?

Why does Snape block Harry in GOF?

Why was Snape the one to raise the alarm in OOTP?

Has Snape ever lied to Harry? (@severus-snaps checked! here's their response)

On fandom:

Why I like Snape: a response

Media literacy & analysis: "Bad writing" means what, exactly? | Your hot take still needs support

Snape Morality Survey: Results & Analysis

HP Podcasts: Tips for Snape Fans

Finally, responses to asks and ask games are tagged #thanks for the ask!

[severus-snaps]

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep     Do not stand           By my grave, and weep.      I am not there,           I do not sleep— I am the thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glints in snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle, autumn rain. As you awake with morning's hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush Of quiet birds in circling flight, I am the day transcending night.      Do not stand           By my grave, and cry—      I am not there,           I did not die.

[x]

[said-snape-softly]

Obsessed with @sideprince's theory (can’t reblog, unfortunately, so I’m just going to link) about what Snape was searching for at Grimmauld Place when he last visits it in Deathly Hallows: a method of communicating with Harry. I think it’s entirely plausible that Snape, who knew about the marauders map and the invisibility cloak, would have deduced that an object that like the mirror could exist.

It also hangs well together with Snape’s focus on communicating with Harry in Deathly Hallows; in each interaction Harry has with Snape in Deathly Hallows, Snape is desperately trying to connect with him. The Patronus, his attempts to find him in the castle, his dying breaths—even indirectly, in his use of Phineas Nigellus Black.

I also like this theory because it fits well with one of my own: that Snape’s search of Grimmauld Place was in itself a message.

There's no denying that Snape’s last visit to Grimmauld Place was emotional—we see it in his tears over the letter—and even before that, he was likely rattled. His visit forced him to relive his killing of Dumbledore and underscored how irrevocably he was cut off from anyone who had known his true self. Snape is likely grieving and reconciling with his changed mission and the path ahead, as Harry must do during The Forest Again. (One of these days I’ll sit down for long enough to write how the photo of Lily:Snape :: resurrection stone:Harry… unless someone else has already written it in which case drop the link please!)

Given his emotional state, it’s easy to explain the mess he makes while searching. But why did he leave it that way?

Snape does lash out emotionally. But in most cases, given time and/or a reminder of his mission, he is able to master those emotions and pull himself back to the task at hand. So unless he was rushed, or deemed the house of Black to be below the basic effort of setting it to rights (both very real possibilities, for sure) it is somewhat uncharacteristic of him to leave the house in its ransacked state. Which to me begs the question: could it have been an intentional choice?

Perhaps, in the absence of finding something more concrete with which to reach Harry, he uses the search itself to send him a message:

Beware! The security of the house has weakened; stay on your toes and don’t get complacent. A lesson in defense to anyone who might be inclined to return to the house (how very Snape!) After all, Snape doesn't know that Mr. Weasley has said as much to Harry before he even arrives:

"Well, Mad-Eye set up a couple of curses against Snape in case he turns up there again. We hope they'll be strong enough both to keep him out and bind his tongue if he tries to talk about the place, but we can't be sure. It would have been insane to keep using the place as headquarters not what its protection has become so shaky."

But with evidence that there has been an intruder, the trio could reach the same conclusion. And they're right to be careful; within days Death Eaters are surveilling the house.

But there’s also another layer one could read into this: You're being protected. The intruder, while callous and disrespectful of the house and its owner, has not broken the Fidelius Charm.

Hermione and Ron get very close to reaching this exact line of reasoning:

“Death Eaters, for sure,” said Ron, as he, Harry, and Hermione watched from the drawing room windows. “Reckon they know we’re in here?” “I don’t think so,” said Hermione, though she looked frightened, “or they’d have sent Snape in after us, wouldn’t they?” “D’you reckon he’s been in here and had his tongue tied by Moody’s curse?” asked Ron. “Yes,” said Hermione, “otherwise he’d have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn’t he? But they’re probably watching to see whether we turn up. They know that Harry owns the house, after all.”

They don't quite get there because Hermione assumes the only reason the Fidelius has not broken is the tongue-tying curse. Sure, after killing Dumbledore and cursing George, they're not about to give Snape the benefit of the doubt.

But it also seems to be the case that tongue-tying only affects verbal communication; there's no indication that it would stop one from sharing the protected information in other ways. And after all, the location of Grimmauld Place can be shared non-verbally—Dumbledore revealed the location of Grimmauld Place to Harry in writing, and we find out in just a few chapters that the location can be shared via side-along Apparition. So an intelligent wizard bent on sharing the location could very well get around the tongue-tying curse; indeed, the Order aren't discounting this possibility.

Yet Grimmauld Place remains secure until the trio accidentally let a Death Eater in themselves. Perhaps Snape was planting a seed; if the trio were just a little less convinced that the curses on Grimmauld Place were binding Snape, they might consider whether there was another reason Snape wasn't sharing the location with the Death Eaters. A seed, perhaps, that could germinate into doubts about Snape's allegiance and set the stage for future communication…?

I admit there’s nothing really in the text to support this little pet theory of mine, I’m mainly just musing here. But it’s a fun idea to roll around, so thought I’d share :)

[sideprince]

There's an aspect to this theory that feels connected to the kind of subtlety Dumbledore used to convey the relevance of the Hallows to Harry? Harry has to really think about it and put the pieces together but if he does he could realize that Snape is trying to reach him. I completely agree that he left a trail in Grimmauld Place to make sure the Order knew he was there. Had the trio kept track of Snape more, even for strategic reasons, rather than just hated him, then after they exposed Grimmauld Place to Yaxley accidentally they would have wondered why Snape hadn't done the same. Of course, even then they would have assumed he hadn't thought to. But like with the realization about the Hallows, after months of odd questions with no clear answers, the questions themselves would have pointed towards an answer together, if that makes sense. Harry figures out the Hallows because of questions like, why did Dumbledore leave him an old snitch? Why did he leave Hermione a book of fairy tales? what's this weird symbol that shows up on a grave and Mr. Lovegood? Without all these questions left hanging in the air, Harry wouldn't have sought answers. The lack of clarity was what fueled his curiosity; it could have been the same with Snape, had Harry considered him worth thinking about.

Why didn't Snape reveal Grimmauld Place to any Death Eaters via side-along apparition? Why did he search Headquarters when he knew it was abandoned? He must have known it was empty or else he wouldn't have gone there. Snape was connected to the sword of Gryffindor by a goblin and Bellatrix Lestrange, but the trio keep assuming someone else put the real sword in the pool in that forest and don't even consider Snape. It also doesn't occur to any of them that Snape has to work in an office where Dumbledore's portrait is hanging. All the times they talk to Phineas Nigellus' portrait they aren't curious about Snape because they've dismissed him and have no interest in him other than hating him.

This is how Snape succeeds as a spy, however. The same treatment that caused him years of suffering and bullying at school becomes his greatest asset. He gives people little reason to like him, and then hides being their biases. His obvious cleverness, talent, and ability to be calculating are overlooked by people who let their dislike dictate their feelings and cloud their rationality.

[said-snape-softly]

Obsessed with @sideprince's theory (can’t reblog, unfortunately, so I’m just going to link) about what Snape was searching for at Grimmauld Place when he last visits it in Deathly Hallows: a method of communicating with Harry. I think it’s entirely plausible that Snape, who knew about the marauders map and the invisibility cloak, would have deduced that an object that like the mirror could exist.

It also hangs well together with Snape’s focus on communicating with Harry in Deathly Hallows; in each interaction Harry has with Snape in Deathly Hallows, Snape is desperately trying to connect with him. The Patronus, his attempts to find him in the castle, his dying breaths—even indirectly, in his use of Phineas Nigellus Black.

I also like this theory because it fits well with one of my own: that Snape’s search of Grimmauld Place was in itself a message.

There's no denying that Snape’s last visit to Grimmauld Place was emotional. We see it in his tears over the letter, but even before that, he was likely rattled. His visit forced him to relive his killing of Dumbledore and underscored how irrevocably he was cut off from anyone who had known his true self. Snape is likely grieving and reconciling with his changed mission and the path ahead, as Harry must do during The Forest Again. (One of these days I’ll sit down for long enough to write how the photo of Lily:Snape :: resurrection stone:Harry… unless someone else has already written it in which case drop the link please!)

Given his emotional state, it’s easy to explain the mess he makes while searching. But why did he leave it that way?

Snape does lash out emotionally. But in most cases, given time and/or a reminder of his mission, he is able to master those emotions and pull himself back to the task at hand. So unless he was rushed, or deemed the house of Black to be below the basic effort of setting it to rights (both very real possibilities, for sure) it is somewhat uncharacteristic of him to leave the house in its ransacked state. Which to me begs the question: could it have been an intentional choice?

Perhaps, in the absence of finding something more concrete with which to reach Harry, he uses the search itself to send him a message:

Beware! The security of the house has weakened; stay on your toes and don’t get complacent. A lesson in defense to anyone who might be inclined to return to the house (how very Snape!) After all, Snape doesn't know that Mr. Weasley has said as much to Harry before he even arrives:

"Well, Mad-Eye set up a couple of curses against Snape in case he turns up there again. We hope they'll be strong enough both to keep him out and bind his tongue if he tries to talk about the place, but we can't be sure. It would have been insane to keep using the place as headquarters not what its protection has become so shaky."

But with evidence that there has been an intruder, the trio could reach the same conclusion. And they're right to be careful; within days Death Eaters are surveilling the house.

But there’s also another layer one could read into this: You're being protected. The intruder, while callous and disrespectful of the house and its owner, has not broken the Fidelius Charm.

Hermione and Ron get very close to reaching this exact line of reasoning:

“Death Eaters, for sure,” said Ron, as he, Harry, and Hermione watched from the drawing room windows. “Reckon they know we’re in here?” “I don’t think so,” said Hermione, though she looked frightened, “or they’d have sent Snape in after us, wouldn’t they?” “D’you reckon he’s been in here and had his tongue tied by Moody’s curse?” asked Ron. “Yes,” said Hermione, “otherwise he’d have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn’t he? But they’re probably watching to see whether we turn up. They know that Harry owns the house, after all.”

They don't quite get there because Hermione assumes the only reason the Fidelius has not broken is the tongue-tying curse. Sure, after killing Dumbledore and cursing George, they're not about to give Snape the benefit of the doubt.

But it also seems to be the case that tongue-tying only affects verbal communication; there's no indication that it would stop one from sharing the protected information in other ways. And after all, the location of Grimmauld Place can be shared non-verbally—Dumbledore revealed the location of Grimmauld Place to Harry in writing, and we find out in just a few chapters that the location can be shared via side-along Apparition. So an intelligent wizard bent on sharing the location could very well get around the tongue-tying curse; indeed, the Order aren't discounting this possibility.

Yet Grimmauld Place remains secure until the trio accidentally let a Death Eater in themselves. Perhaps Snape was planting a seed; if the trio were just a little less convinced that the curses on Grimmauld Place were binding Snape, they might consider whether there was another reason Snape wasn't sharing the location with the Death Eaters. A seed, perhaps, that could germinate into doubts about Snape's allegiance and set the stage for future communication…?

I admit there’s nothing really in the text to support this little pet theory of mine, I’m mainly just musing here. But it’s a fun idea to roll around, so thought I’d share :)

[digitkame]

Severus does resting bitch face( ´_ゝ`)

[evyshnya]

another Severus doodle

[sideprince]

‘Terrified? I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins -‘

-Order of the Phoenix, Ch. 11

‘Listen - what happens when you die, anyway? Where do you go? Why doesn’t everyone come back? Why isn’t this place full of ghosts? Why -?’ ‘I cannot answer,’ said Nick. ‘You’re dead, aren’t you?’ said Harry exasperatedly. ‘Who can answer better than you?’ ‘I was afraid of death,’ said Nick softly. ‘I chose to remain behind. I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn’t to have … well, that is neither here nor there … in fact, I am neither here nor there …’ He gave a small sad chuckle. ‘I know nothing of the secrets of death, Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead.’

-Order of the Phoenix, Ch. 38

I love this little reveal about Nick’s insecurities at the beginning and end of OoTP.

[capitan-rush]

my works with Severus

[ernest-pamphilow]

oh yeah, -- said Sirius sarcastically. -- listening to Snape’s reports, having to take all his snide hints that he’s out there risking his life while I’m sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time . . . asking me how the cleaning’s going —

[gohugami]

久々に…

[simpluminis]

I feel like Severus Snape would NOT drink alcohol. Being drunk = losing control over your mind and body and for Severus having control is important. It’s like live or die situation. If he lost control and something bad happened, he or the people he was supposed to protect could die. He carried on his shoulders great responsibility…

Of course that responsibility COULD and probably WOULD be to high for most people and they could break down but Severus wasn’t one of them. He was stronger. He has done something i would never. He dedicated half of his life to protect Harry and later to save the world when he didn’t have to. He chose to do that and didn’t run away.

[said-snape-softly]

Interesting fact—he does drink in canon!

When Bellatrix and Narcissa pay him a visit at his home, Snape orders Peter to “bring us drinks…some of the elf-made wine will do”, meaning he probably keeps more than one bottle and more than one type of drink in the house. Peter protests that he is not here to “make [him] drinks and—and clean [his] house”, which could imply that he has asked to be served before. Snape has between one and two glasses over the course of the visit, and seems wholly unaffected by the alcohol. However, Snape is never noted as drinking at Hogwarts, even when it is clearly permissible for the teachers to indulge.

I mused about this a while back; long story short, the canon facts we have to work with show that he’s neither prone to overindulgence nor a teetotaler. It remains difficult to draw any concrete conclusions bout his attitude towards drink, leaving plenty of room for headcanons & interpretations!

[scorbus-wins-actually]

No one knew about the dark mark. NO ONE KNEW ABOUT THE DARK MARK.

It was the symbol cast over crime scenes and battle fields to the rest of the world. Only Voldemort’s inner circle, those who received the mark, knew that it tied the Death Eaters to their master.

Sirius had no idea what Karkoff could be showing Snape in Goblet of Fire. He would not be freaking out about his brother getting one. If he saw it, he'd assume Regulus had gotten a hateful tattoo because he was obsessed with Voldemort. The same way bastards get swastikas and Confederate flags tatooed on them today. Then he'd curse Regulus to hell and back because Sirius hated everything Voldemort and the mark stood for.

And Voldemort would not force anyone to take it, to tie themselves to him. That's an extreme security risk if any disloyal brat could summon him into a trap at any time. Draco got the mark because at that point, like Snape and Regulus when they were marked, he trusted that Draco was on his side. In need of testing and punishment for his father's actions, yes, but loyal all the same.

(Also, Draco having the dark mark is only canon in the movies. Harry believes him to be in the books but it is never confirmed)

It also faded when Voldemort was untethered from his body, alive only because of his horcruxes. So even if Snape/Dumbledore told the Ministry about it when they were dragging people in for questioning, there was no longer any definitive proof. That's why people like Lucius were able to claim they were imperiused into helping him.

[said-snape-softly]

Yes, 1000%!!! I think it’s also important to remember that while we know Snape told Dumbledore about the Marks, we don’t know when, exactly.

If it were during the first war (which is i think highly probable), it’s likely that Dumbledore would not broadcast this knowledge (or even be able to act upon it) because if word got back to the Death Eaters, it would confirm that there was a traitor in their midst. It was likely much more important to Dumbledore to maintain Snape’s cover than it was to share and act upon all the information that Snape gave him.

And Dumbledore would be wary, too, because first war Voldemort had a great interest in spy games—sending his own to infiltrate Hogwarts and attempting to recruit assets from the Order and the Ministry. Given Dumbledore’s suspicion towards the end of the war that there was a mole in the Order’s ranks, I don’t doubt he would be keeping information incredibly close to the vest at that point.

This has always made me wonder: should Moody know about the Dark Mark in Goblet of Fire?

Crouch, impersonating Moody, references the mark just obliquely enough to provide plausible deniability when talking to Snape:

“ But me — I say there are spots that don’t come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d’you know what I mean?”

And Snape is thrown for a loop:

Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.

Snape's clearly not prepared to hear such a specific reference to his deepest shame, and loses some of his composure at the painful reminder. But could he also be thrown because he didn't think Moody knew about the Dark Mark brand?

A genius card to play on Crouch's part, if Moody wasn't supposed to know, because mentioning it would immediately set Snape spiraling. (IHow does he know about the Marks? Has Dumbledore informed him? Who else knows? What else is Dumbledore sharing with Moody — and does it indeed include doubts about him?)

[dufferpuffer]

Love you for pointing out its unclear if even Moody knew about it. Or, at least - if Snape knew Moody knew about it.

What advantage would knowing about the Dark Mark give him during the first war? He hadn't lost his eye - he can't see through clothes. In the middle of a skirmish pulling up peoples sleeves is pointless. It doesn't matter what they are - they're either resisting or surrendering. He takes them to court for their sentencing. Whether the court is fair or not, whether they get a trial or not - not his problem.

After the war, when he lost his eye and hid in a Muggle house - why would he need to know about the Dark Mark? Who is dropping by just to say 'oh by the way, it's mostly gone now, but Voldemorts followers had a tattoo arm - good luck with the panic-anxiety disorder.'

There is no advantage to Dumbledore spreading that information around, if Snape told him. It would be horrible if he did. Giving a binary option 'everyone with this mark is bad' would open the door to false marks being planted on people just to frame them. The way the Ministry treated potential criminals was bad enough without a 'yep this guy is DEFINITELY evil' stamp.

It's a dangerous thing, turning people into a binary. Dumbledore knows that better than most. He would keep that information close.

Knowing if an adult has the Dark Mark is almost useless. Lucius has one - he was 'under imperius'. Or was he? Severus has one - but he was 'a spy'. Or was he? Igor has one - but he has since defected. Or has he? Even Peter could spin that he was forced to take it.

Someone having the Dark Mark doesn't confirm anything other than they had proximity to Voldemort. Maybe. For some reason.

Is it possible Dumbledore told him before he started teaching? 'Dear Alastor, please come to the castle - I've baked a cake for you. I also have a way to spot suspicious people, since can see through their clothes' - thats one good way to have the man come out of hiding in order to feel useful. All he's gotta do is keep an eye out, right?

It's possible Severus would have been told that Albus had told him. Or... that he wasn't told at all/Severus didn't know.

I'd say, given Snapes reaction, he didn't know. That one is more fun and more in line with his extreme reaction - and gives Barty an even sneakier genius edge, as Prev said.

And is far more in line with how the Dark Mark is treated - as super secret insider information. Even other Death Eaters don't know who does or doesn't have the mark ffs

[evyshnya]

[danadiadea]

oh how i love him and his shitty mean smirk that pisses Harry off😔😔😔💔

[odigrai]

[scorbus-wins-actually]

No one knew about the dark mark. NO ONE KNEW ABOUT THE DARK MARK.

It was the symbol cast over crime scenes and battle fields to the rest of the world. Only Voldemort’s inner circle, those who received the mark, knew that it tied the Death Eaters to their master.

Sirius had no idea what Karkoff could be showing Snape in Goblet of Fire. He would not be freaking out about his brother getting one. If he saw it, he'd assume Regulus had gotten a hateful tattoo because he was obsessed with Voldemort. The same way bastards get swastikas and Confederate flags tatooed on them today. Then he'd curse Regulus to hell and back because Sirius hated everything Voldemort and the mark stood for.

And Voldemort would not force anyone to take it, to tie themselves to him. That's an extreme security risk if any disloyal brat could summon him into a trap at any time. Draco got the mark because at that point, like Snape and Regulus when they were marked, he trusted that Draco was on his side. In need of testing and punishment for his father's actions, yes, but loyal all the same.

(Also, Draco having the dark mark is only canon in the movies. Harry believes him to be in the books but it is never confirmed)

It also faded when Voldemort was untethered from his body, alive only because of his horcruxes. So even if Snape/Dumbledore told the Ministry about it when they were dragging people in for questioning, there was no longer any definitive proof. That's why people like Lucius were able to claim they were imperiused into helping him.

[said-snape-softly]

Yes, 1000%!!! I think it’s also important to remember that while we know Snape told Dumbledore about the Marks, we don’t know when, exactly.

If it were during the first war (which is i think highly probable), it’s likely that Dumbledore would not broadcast this knowledge (or even be able to act upon it) because if word got back to the Death Eaters, it would confirm that there was a traitor in their midst. It was likely much more important to Dumbledore to maintain Snape’s cover than it was to share and act upon all the information that Snape gave him.

And Dumbledore would be wary, too, because first war Voldemort had a great interest in spy games—sending his own to infiltrate Hogwarts and attempting to recruit assets from the Order and the Ministry. Given Dumbledore’s suspicion towards the end of the war that there was a mole in the Order’s ranks, I don’t doubt he would be keeping information incredibly close to the vest at that point.

This has always made me wonder: should Moody know about the Dark Mark in Goblet of Fire?

Crouch, impersonating Moody, references the mark just obliquely enough to provide plausible deniability when talking to Snape:

“ But me — I say there are spots that don’t come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d’you know what I mean?”

And Snape is thrown for a loop:

Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.

Snape's clearly not prepared to hear such a specific reference to his deepest shame, and loses some of his composure at the painful reminder. But could he also be thrown because he didn't think Moody knew about the Dark Mark brand?

A genius card to play on Crouch's part, if Moody wasn't supposed to know, because mentioning it would immediately set Snape spiraling. (IHow does he know about the Marks? Has Dumbledore informed him? Who else knows? What else is Dumbledore sharing with Moody — and does it indeed include doubts about him?)

[chipartwork]

Servant to all, but not himself.