What is going on with the HP Timeline?

[post_baseball89]

snape specifically says he is the Half-Blood Prince

was he the 1 who spied on Voldemort and told the POtters of his arrival?

[Mrs. Luca Black]

snape specifically says he is the Half-Blood Prince

was he the 1 who spied on Voldemort and told the POtters of his arrival?

His arrival? What arrival? Do you mean of his plan to kill them? Because if that's what you meant, then yes, he was the spy that told the Potters that Voldemort wanted to kill them.

[post_baseball89]

yeah that is what i meant. can u tell me where it says that? cause i can't remember right now.

[Mrs. Luca Black]

I don't think it says it specifically, but as far as we know he's the only DE spy the Order has. He also seems to have been high enough in Voldemort's inner circle to know things like that. So, it's been more implied than stated, so I guess I could be wrong, but all clues point to it being true.

[post_baseball89]

unless- and this is a wild guess- it was regulus who revealed LV plan to the Order (or Potters- whoever it was) this may have been what he did to betray the DL.

[Snow_Crystal]

It's feasible but I'm sure DD said it was Snape that alerted him to the threat of LV to the Potters. I think there was a conversation between HP and DD in HBP where HP confronted DD about Snape (after Trelawny predicted lightning struck tower) and I'm sure that was when DD told Harry that Snape had alerted them about the threat. I may have this completely wrong though - don't have my book at the moment!

[Mrs. Luca Black]

I don't remember Dumbledore telling Harry in no uncertain terms that it was Snape, I think it's merely been implied.

Also, I think more people would have known if Regulus was the spy and I just can't see the little prat doing anything nice like that.

[darkcloak]

Snape really is the most interesting character in the Harry Potter world. I think that a key passage takes place before the cave sequence and is therefore quite forgotten when reading HBP.

'You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realised how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason that he returned -'

Firstly, he's saying that Harry has never felt so bad as Snape (even the death of Cedric?), which means it must be very strong remorse indeed.
Secondly, at the time of the prophecy, Snape has been part of Voldemort's DE for a while. They must have killed and tortured during that time. Why would this case be any different? Why, when he hated Harry's Dad (and now Harry) and had been part of this openly murderous group would he feel so bad? Snape must have known that when he gives the prophecy to Voldemort, he will kill the child mentioned. Dumbledore doesn't say that Snape was horrified when LV did something about it, but rather "how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy". Clearly then there is some connection between Snape and the Potters that we are missing.

Also why is "Snape's worst memory" the one in GoF with James and Lily? Surely, if the above is true, it should be the time he gave Voldemort the Prophecy? How many thoughts did he put into the pensieve before occulmency practise?

'how can you be sure that Snape's on our side?'
Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make up his mind about something. At last he said, 'I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely'

This weakens the "Snape is good" arguement as it appears that trusting Snape isn't a clear cut decision (like an unbreakable vow), but rather a choice. If Dumbledore has to even think about his decision of trusting Snape then this brings into doubt his judgement, e.g. being outwitted by Malfoy.

[Tanuki]

Why would this case be any different? Why, when he hated Harry's Dad (and now Harry) and had been part of this openly murderous group would he feel so bad? Snape must have known that when he gives the prophecy to Voldemort, he will kill the child mentioned

Exactly, why would he experience a sudden change of heart. I think Snape was playing Dumbledore from teh beginning... Then again, I also think he's playing Voldy

[Mrs. Luca Black]

I think Snape was playing Dumbledore too. Maybe he saw that he was on the losing side and wanted to switch halfway through the game? Or maybe he really wanted Voldemort to be killed (so he could be the next supreme Dark wizard).

Or maybe he was in love with Lily Potter. Or atleast had some feelings that made him want to save her (I don't think he's capable of real love). He might have seen saving them a way to win Lily from James.

[Nicolas Flamel]

'how can you be sure that Snape's on our side?'
Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make up his mind about something. At last he said, 'I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely'

This weakens the "Snape is good" arguement as it appears that trusting Snape isn't a clear cut decision (like an unbreakable vow), but rather a choice. If Dumbledore has to even think about his decision of trusting Snape then this brings into doubt his judgement, e.g. being outwitted by Malfoy.[/quote]

i don't think this does weaken "snape is good" dd was just trying to think what he should say to Harry, if he should tell him everything or not

[Nicolas Flamel]

woops i did that wrong, the first and second paragraphs are meant to be in a quote too, from darkcloak, only the last part is from me

[uggy]

Wasn't the original owner of the book Snape's mom? Eileen Prince?

es the oringinal book was hers and was given to snape.
That is why it says 50 years ago

[Chimera]

True Uggy. Stuff gets about, and while Lupin's idea holds a certain amount of validity it is by no means foolproof.

[DarkOne]

"What I want to establish at the moment is… if the book was owned by LV, is this the missing link that indicates why Snape joined the Death Eaters? Something caused him to join approximately 9 years before Harry was born (which incidentally was the time he was studying potions in his 6th year at the age of 16, and also incidentally at the same time that LV was recruiting his DE’s) – what was it? It seems to me to be too much of a coincidence!"

I can think of one simple quoted paragraph to refute this (p460 GoF):
'Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here ... Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year and he was a part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters'.

According to the timeline: LV was 17-19 when he went to Borgin and Bourkes to work, and 10 years separate approximately then and when he made his request for his job, where he would be roughly 28-32. He is 50-odd at the moment (note the guesswork, which makes any theory sketchy in relation to LV). Assume the Potters were 25 when they were killed by LV. They would have been 41 at present, which would suggest LV is approximately 10 years older than Snape. LV was already recruiting at age 16 (as is implied by Slughorn's memory) and had faithful followers already. Assume that Eileen is 30-32 at that time (the youngest she can be in order to have owned the Advanced Potion-Making book - do the math), would it be likely she had anything to do with LV?

I may expand on this post, but its bed for me at the moment , so cya.