Snapedom

Sorry that this topic has no relevance to any of the recent discussions or the monthly challenge.

A Japanese Snape-meta blogger that I adore has recently brought up the issue of Snape reacting somewhat strangely to the fake Moody in GoF, and why that might be, seeing as we now know that he was actually a very important member of the Order, actively helping Dumbledore, even at that time. He should have nothing to fear from the real Moody, an ally, right? Or did he somehow sense that he was a Death Eater in disguise? And even if he did, why would he fear that Death Eater so much that he would abandon his attempt to find Harry on the stairs and ascertain his safety, allowing "Moody" to send him straight to bed? What was it he had to prioritize?

My personal feeling is that Dumbledore at least might have known perfectly well that somebody was sabotaging the tournament, and might have even known that it was Moody. I think it possible that he was purposely allowing whoever it was to get his objective (Harry's blood) because he was counting on that to work in his own favor when it came time to destroy the Harry horcrux. (Of course, if he did know it'd be yet another reason to bring into question his personal integrity, since he would then have allowed Cedric to die out of either incompetence -- if he knew that much and still failed to determine exactly how Harry was to be taken -- or negligence -- if he knew exactly what the plan was and yet decided against warning the other champions for fear of compromising his strategy with Harry.)

But even if Dumbledore knew so far as Moody's true identity, was Snape told? It seems unlikely that he was, because Dumbledore kept the whole horcrux business a secret from Snape even in death. And besides: If Snape knew Moody was stealing from his office and was told to let him go on uninterrupted, why would he appear in the corridor "livid" and commanding Filch to help him find the intruder? Or did Snape figure it out on his own, not yet knowing Dumbledore wanted him to let things lie (if he did want that)? Someone had the idea that maybe his Dark Mark ached in reaction to Crouch Jr.'s proximity. But then we'd want to come up with an explanation for Snape leaving Harry with "Moody" in the middle of the night when he knew that Harry was there and whoever was posing as Moody was hostile towards Harry. Even if he already knew he wouldn't kill him then and there... Somehow that seems OOC to me, but I don't know. Possible? Maybe?

My own pet theory is that Snape knew (as all teachers must have known, since someone put Harry's name in the goblet and Dumbledore legilimenced the boy to make sure it wasn't his idea) that some adult wizard was trying to harm Harry but didn't know who it was. And that he suspected his former fellow Karkaroff. Only, I think he wanted to spare his academic colleague his life, so his goal was to stop him before he committed any further crime; he wanted to protect Harry from the former Death Eater but he also didn't want to kill off Karkaroff or get him sent to Azkaban if he could help it. That would seem to fit with Snape being so hell bent on catching the intruder, enough to ask another person for help (not a very characteristic move for him), and yet discounting the whole incident as soon as Moody appeared on the scene. The real Moody is a "death to all those suspicious" kind of fellow. Also we have seen Snape specifically report to Dumbledore how Karkaroff is planning to flee if and when the Dark Lord returns and calls on them. Dumbledore doesn't get it, because he's so lacking in empathy and narrow-mindedly focused on bravery vs. cowardice (he wonders if this story is relevant enough to report because Snape is tempted to join him! the heartless fool...) but from Snape's POV, if he does care about Karkaroff or Harry, it must have been extremely important to inform his boss of a legitimate reason why Karkaroff should be struck off of the list of suspects.

Or so I think. I don't know, maybe this is just me wanting to pursue my view of Snape as genuinely caring for his former Death Eater comrades in one way or another, and yet choosing to betray them and work against them for the sake of protecting Harry, or to right his previous wrongdoings. In my eyes, that's the fundamental aspect of Snape's truly heroic nature: that dilemma, that innate capacity for empathic warmth and personal attachment, and his conscious will to sacrifice something that actually matters to him -- friends, trust, honor. None of the other so-called heroic characters does that in this world... Since Lily I think had zero dilemma to work through when she decided to die for her child, and even Harry always knew exactly what he was supposed to do (in his own sacrifice, obviously, and even in cases where there should have been an inner moral struggle, such as in making the decision to Imperius a Goblin or Cruciate a Death Eater). The only time he struggles, he struggles to solve a puzzle! (The horcruxes or hallows thing: "What was Dumbledore expecting me to do by setting things up this way?" That's a reality show game, not a moral debate.)

But maybe I'm applying too much of that view of mine in thinking about this specific scene. Other interpretations are entirely possible, ranging from "Snape was afraid for his own safety because Moody was just batsh*t crazy when it came to former Death Eaters" to "he actually thought it was Harry invading his office, and wanted to stop him for some reason or another" (which would be the interpretation of the movie).

Thoughts? Alternative ideas?

---
I'll include an abbreviated excerpt of the most relevant parts of the scene in question, in case some of us don't have the book ready at hand. Hope it's all right to do that in this comm...

"Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's -" Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
Snape stopped talking very abruptly.
[...]
"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," said Filch at once. "Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual - and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off -"
"Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch.
[...]
"Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" he asked slowly. "Someone broke into your office?"
"It is unimportant," said Snape coldly.
"On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"
"A student, I daresay," said Snape. Harry could see a vein flickering horribly on Snape’s greasy temple.
[...]
"Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" said Moody. "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"
Harry saw the edge of Snapes sallow face turn a nasty brick color, the vein in his temple pulsing more rapidly.
"You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a soft and dangerous voice, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."
Moodys face twisted into a smile. "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye -"
"Dumbledore happens to trust me," said Snape through clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"
"Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me - I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"
Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.
[...]
"My mistake," Moody said calmly. "It’s mine - must’ve dropped it earlier -"
But Snape's black eyes were darting from the egg in Filch's arms to the map in Moodys hand, and Harry could tell he was putting two and two together, as only Snape could...
"Potter," he said quietly.
"What's that?" said Moody calmly, folding up the map and pocketing it.
"Potter!" Snape snarled, and he actually turned his head and stared right at the place where Harry was, as though he could suddenly see him. "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in his Invisibility Cloak!"
[...]
"There’s nothing there, Snape!" barked Moody, "but I’ll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!"
"Meaning what?" Snape turned again to look at Moody, his hands still outstretched, inches from Harry’s chest.
"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy!" said Moody, limping nearer still to the foot of the stairs. "And so am I, Snape ... very interested..."
[...]
Snape was looking down at Moody, and Harry couldn’t see the expression on his face. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. Then Snape slowly lowered his hands.
"I merely thought," said Snape, in a voice of forced calm, "that if Potter was wandering around after hours again ... it's an unfortunate habit of his ... he should be stopped. For - for his own safety.”
"Ah, I see," said Moody softly. "Got Potter’s best interests at heart, have you?"
There was a pause. Snape and Moody were still staring at each other, Mrs. Norris gave a loud meow, still peering around Filch's legs, looking for the source of Harry's bubble-bath smell. "I think I will go back to bed," Snape said curtly.