Quote from Naaga on October 31, 2023, 9:45 am

Source: What kind of Death Eater was Snape? (Reddit)

What kind of Death Eater was Snape?

Here is the evidence that he was a very small-time Death Eater:

Sirius was imprisoned with the hardcore Death Eaters for 12 years and nobody said a word about Snape, he was that unimportant:

[“But as far as I know, SNAPE WAS NEVER EVEN ACCUSED OF BEING A DEATH EATER.”]

Also:

[”There’s still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn’t, but I JUST CAN’T SEE HIM LETTING SNAPE TEACH AT HOGWARTS IF HE’D EVER WORKED FOR VOLDEMORT.”]

The imprisoned Death Eaters never brought Snape up. Of course, we do know he was one, because… Karkaroff names him… Dead last, when he’s desperate. He doesn’t associate him with anything, gruesome or otherwise. This is how he names everybody else:

[“There was Antonin Dolohov,” he said. “I — I saw him TORTURE COUNTLESS MUGGLES AND — AND NON-SUPPORTERS OF THE DARK LORD.”

“AND HELPED HIM DO IT,” murmured Moody.]

Even Moody doesn’t accuse Snape of anything concrete, coming to think about it.

And:

[“There was Travers — he helped MURDER THE MCKINNONS! Mulciber — he SPECIALIsED IN THE IMPERIUS CURSE, FORCED COUNTLESS PEOPLE TO DO HORRIFIC THINGS! Rookwood, WHO WAS A SPY, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!”]

Contrast with:

[“Not yet!” cried Karkaroff, looking quite DESPERATE. “Wait, I have more!”

Harry could see him SWEATING IN THE TORCHLIGHT, his white skin contrasting strongly with the black of his hair and beard.

“Snape!” he shouted. “Severus Snape!"

“SNAPE HAS BEEN CLEARED BY THIS COUNCIL,” SAID CROUCH DISDAINFULLY. “He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore.”]

The words “cleared by this council” and “he was vouched for by Albus Dumbledore” show that Snape was cleared without even being tried, on Dumbledore’s word.

This is the same Crouch who threw his own son to Azkaban, remember?

This is the same Crouch who threw Sirius in prison without a trial.

The same Crouch who…. [‘they say old Mad-Eye’s obsessed with catching Dark wizards … but Mad-Eye’s nothing – NOTHING – compared to Barty Crouch.’]

Dumbledore's word is a lot, but it's not all-powerful: he gets suspended in COS, he can’t overrule Buckbeak being slaughtered, he knows he can't get Fudge to wait with the Dementor's Kiss on Sirius in POA, does not manage to get the Ministry to remove the Dementors from school grounds in the first place, and fails to persuade him of Voldemort's return in GOF. Dumbledore couldn't get Stan out of prison.

[‘They’re not still holding Stan Shunpike, are they?’ asked Harry. ‘I’m afraid so,’ said Mr Weasley. ‘I KNOW DUMBLEDORE’S TRIED APPEALING DIRECTLY TO SCRIMGEOUR ABOUT STAN … I mean, anybody who has actually interviewed him AGREES THAT HE’S ABOUT AS MUCH A DEATH EATER AS THIS SATSUMA … but the top levels want to look as though they’re making some progress, and “three arrests” sounds better than “three mistaken arrests and releases”’]

The first war would be pretty much the same, arresting ANYONE who might raise suspicion as being a Death Eater.

Never mind that Dumbledore kept his promise to Snape, no one knows why Snape flipped or that he is committed to Harry's protection.

Back to Karkaroff:

[“No!” shouted Karkaroff, straining at the chains that bound him to the chair. “I assure you! SEVERUS SNAPE IS A DEATH EATER!”]

Well, yes, but… WHAT DID HE DO, Karkaroff?

Karkaroff does not list the crimes of Snape like he did everyone else, and Moody does not comment, all he does is give a sceptical look.

The evidence against Snape must have been incredibly slim to non-existence. Crouch is DISDAINFUL when he hears Karkaroff say Snape’s name; talking about Snape is a WASTE OF HIS TIME.

But look at who isn’t a waste of Crouch’s time: LUDO BAGMAN. He wants to imprison Ludo Bagman for ACCIDENTALLY passing information along to Rookwood, and was fuming when he was let off.

[“LUDOVIC BAGMAN, you were caught passing information to Lord Voldemort’s supporters,” said Mr. Crouch. “For this, I SUGGEST A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT IN AZKABAN lasting no less than —”]

Bellatrix is a true sadist and a true racist. She does not see a kindred spirit in Severus Snape.

[“The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn’t he?”

“THE DARK LORD IS . . . I BELIEVE . . . MISTAKEN,” Bella panted.]

She is so distrustful of him she is willing to doubt the Dark Lord himself.

[“‘Present company’?” repeated Snape sardonically. “And what am I to understand by that, Bellatrix?”

“THAT I DON’T TRUST YOU, SNAPE, AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW!”]

To earn her trust, Snape would have pointed out all the evil things he'd done to get her off his case, but there aren’t any.

Only this:

[”The Dark Lord is satisfied with THE INFORMATION I HAVE PASSED HIM ON THE ORDER. It led, as perhaps you have guessed, to the recent capture and murder of Emmeline Vance, and it certainly helped dispose of Sirius Black, though I give you full credit for finishing him off.”]

Possibly, Snape gave information that got Vance killed but as Dumbledore says so Snape [If you are forced to take part .... be sure to act your part convincingly] - acting his part convincingly, remaining a spy, means someone might get hurt, or worse, killed; but as Ron says, [that's chess] Remember Snape's words [Only those I could not save]? Here would be one of those moments. But if he is taking credit for getting Sirius killed in the very same sentence, even that is not necessarily true. Because Snape certainly did not help get Sirius killed and in fact, he is the one who alerted the Order about Harry being in the Department of Mysteries. He tried to help save Sirius and keep him safe.

Here is Snape, showing off again:

[But through all these years, he [Dumbledore] has never stopped trusting Severus Snape, and THEREIN LIES MY GREAT VALUE TO THE DARK LORD.”]

So… not in his capacity for murder and torture, then. His value to the Dark Lord is Dumbledore trusting him and being able to pass over information from the Order to him.

Bellatrix is not impressed. Later in the conversation:

["Aren’t you listening, Narcissa? Oh, he’ll try, I’m sure... THE USUAL EMPTY WORDS, THE USUAL SLITHERING OUT OF ACTION.”]

This is how she sees Snape - HE IS ALL TALK - someone who doesn’t put their money where their mouth is. (And he is all talk, remember in POA when he told Sirius he'll the dementors as they get out of the tunnel? But when it came to it, he took him to the castle. He could have easily let the dementors get him at the lake claiming he was too late, no one would ever have know he was lying)

[‘There is no point apportioning blame,’ said Snape smoothly. ‘What is done is done.’

'BUT NOT BY YOU!’ SAID BELLATRIX FURIOUSLY. ‘NO, YOU WERE ONCE AGAIN ABSENT WHILE THE REST OF US RAN DANGERS, WERE YOU NOT, SNAPE?’]

Once again - so this wasn't the first time Snape was absent. Snape again slithering out of action.

The worst Snape did as a Death Eater,was pass over half the Prophecy.