Severus Snape & Mulciber & Avery
I am curious what you guys think about Snape's friendship with these two which was often the cause of friction between him and Lily.
Were they good friends, mere associates, abusers to him or something else.
Canon facts known about them:
Mulciber:
- Often seen in company of Snape and Avery and part of Slytherin gang consisting of them, Rosier, Bellatrix and Lestranges.
- Used dark magic on Mary McDonald which Snape argued was nothing serious than laugh.
- Went to Azkaban for using Imperius curse on muggles.
- Freed by Voldemort in OOTP.
- Likely participated in Battle of ministry and battle of Hogwarts.
- Loose canon: His father was one of original followers of Tom Riddle.
Avery:
- Often seen in company of Snape and Avery and part of Slytherin gang consisting of them, Rosier, Bellatrix and Lestranges.
- Pleaded Imperius curse to escape Azkaban.
- First one of returned DE in the graveyard where he was tortured by Voldemort by cruciatus before reaffirming his loyalty.
- Likely participated in battle of ministry and Hogwarts.
- Loose canon: His father was one of the original followers of Tom Riddle.
Please let me know if there is anything else to add among these facts.
I think they were mere associates to Severus, being fellow Slytherin's. They weren't exactly friends because it's never implied or shown that they did anything to help stop his bullying, but they weren't exactly enemies like Severus was with the Marauders. Even after Lily ends her friendship with Severus, I think they just remain as nothing more than associates, especially once they join the Death Eaters. If anything, they were probably his ticket into the only place he thought he could belong at this point.
However, after defecting, Severus definitely thinks of them as his enemies. No doubt about that.
I agree with @timeladyjamie. I never saw Snape's fellow Slytherins as his friends. If anything they are acquaintances who would include him here and there in a prank against muggleborns. Canon doesn't say much but I also imagine they used him for copying homework and the like.
If they were actually his friends, he wouldn't have to fight off the Marauders 1 vs. 4.
I think that Slytherins generally do not believe in actual friendship. Draco doesn't seem to treat Crabbe and Goyle as his equals but rather as some sort of bodyguards, he doesn't see them as his equals. For some reason, that's how I see Slytherin, you associate with whoever is useful to you.
I might be the only one who thinks they could've been decent friends to him. JKR said in an interview that He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily’s aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.
From the context of the quote, it seems to be saying that Snape wanted what Lily could offer, but he also wanted what Mulciber (and the other Death Eaters) could offer; love and power respectively.
I think he did get it, of course we know the tragedy of choosing power and respect but an Slytherin half-blood outcast being offered those things attracted him towards that side.
We don't know if he did think of them enemies after switching, he certainly didn't think bad of Lucius despite his role which I suspect was larger than Mulciber in grooming Snape. Though it can definitely fit into the canon.
I sorta see Snape as the Theodore Nott of his generation. Nott was the intellectual loner in Slytherin who, despite sharing values with his housemates, never officially joined their gang, but got along with them as much as was necessary.
Yeah, that's fair. I agree that he wasn't that close with them and likely regarded them as means to an end in a give and take relationship. Their dynamics might've mirrored marauder ones in school days where Snape was Lupin to his Potter and Black i.e Mulciber and Avery. Explains his making excuses for them.
Quote from Naaga on June 1, 2023, 2:21 pmI might be the only one who thinks they could've been decent friends to him. JKR said in an interview that He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily’s aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.
From the context of the quote, it seems to be saying that Snape wanted what Lily could offer, but he also wanted what Mulciber (and the other Death Eaters) could offer; love and power respectively.
I think he did get it, of course we know the tragedy of choosing power and respect but an Slytherin half-blood outcast being offered those things attracted him towards that side.
We don't know if he did think of them enemies after switching, he certainly didn't think bad of Lucius despite his role which I suspect was larger than Mulciber in grooming Snape. Though it can definitely fit into the canon.
I mentioned this once I think but I believe Snape joined the Death Eaters because they were his only chance of becoming powerful and climbing the social ladder.
And with regards to Snape liking Mucliber and Co., did he like them or what they represented? He was a teenager and even back in my day, teens always wanted to belong to the group of cool kids or any group rather than being the lone outsider. As Severus was already being bullied by Gryffindors, ostracizing himself within his own house would be social suicide. I compare his behavior to those kids who start smoking because of peer pressure; either you comply or your are out of the group.
Regarding Lucius and the other Death Eaters, when did we see an interaction between Snape and Lucius in canon, except after Snape gets sorted and is welcomed by prefect Lucius? I really don't remember because it's been a while since I last read the books and i have read so many fanfics that they have become my new canon.
Snape seems to like Draco but does he really? Obviously he has to show favoritism toward the offspring of his fellow Death Eaters, lest they question his loyalties. He does seem worried about Draco's fate in HBP but is it because he truly cares about the kid or because he's seeing himself in him?
Narcissa goes to Snape for help but it is out of desperation and who else would be able to help her other than the double agent working at Hogwarts? He is the only Death Eater who can get close enough to Dumbledore to kill him.
Here are my thoughts - I never considered them close friends to Severus, as we don't hear much about the friendship between them. Or anything, really.
Considering Mulciber and Avery were in the same year as Severus, I think it's logical to assume they also shared a dorm. For seven years.
Now, being a Half-blood surrounded by Purebloods (Mind you, Avery and Mulciber Sr were some of Riddles' first 'DEs', whether Severus knew this or not, we don't know). Perhaps even Lucius may have convinced Severus that it was wise to stay with them, who knows what was said, really?
But I think it's really Slytherin of Severus to befriend them, not only for their connections, but for his safety. I think he considered them friends just to keep the peace and avoid being bullied by his own House, so he spoke highly of them. I do not believe they were genuinely close, but Severus did what he had to. He was a poor Half-Blood who had to work as hard to remain in good social graces with the rest of the bigots.
(Hence why I believed he didn't actually wholeheartedly believe in blood purity for the reasons above, and considering he didn't have a favored blood status, either. But that's another issue entirely.)
If they were genuine, close friends, they would have supported Severus in the fight against the Marauders. Personally, I think they all stood back to teach Severus to fight for himself and not to rely on anyone. Perhaps that was a test or a way of 'toughening him up' and seeing if he met the standards to become a DE.But through all these seven years, not once did we hear of them - or any Slytherin - stand up for him. Perhaps there may even have been a time (or still did) when Avery and Mulciber took pity on him.
Maybe Severus wanted to prove that he was capable.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I believe they were friends, but not in the true sense of the word. I believe Severus considered them friends for self-preservation, but I'm not entirely convinced that he ever trusted them.
But again, we know next to nothing, so this is all speculation based on what we know of Severus. Which, as a young kid, actually not that much. But enough to formulate some vague explanation.
I agree with @darkangel, @sanctuaryangel and @thegestaltprince with their relationship with Severus. Severus was brilliant and they could've seen this and used him for themselves. It isn't a co-incidence that Severus' spells got leaked and I won't solely blame marauders for this one.
Remus had no clue that Levicorpus belonged to Severus. I think Levicorpus was mass used by Mulciber and co against muggleborns and thus got popular spell during marauders era.
