The Plot Thickens Discussion ~ View topic - What is it with Snape, Dumbledore and the DADA job?

well I am glad Serpentine brought the subject of the curse DADA job, because I have been brainstorming on this subject for a while. In my opinion the key to Snape allegiance (if he has any) resides there. You see to me it does not tie. For example Snape says to the sisters in spinners' end that he went to Hogwarts to take the DADA job under Volldemort's orders. First why would Voldemort send a spy when he knows that he won't be able to be in place for longer than a year having cursed the position himself? Why work hard on infiltrating Hogwarts and plant a spy for such a short time?? If we agree that does not make sense, then Snape would have lied to Bella and it could be the fisrt of many lies he fed her...

but on to Serpentine questions:

which could be / have been Dumbledore's real reason(s) to keep Snape off the DADA job?
If we assume that Snape is on trhe bad side and that Dumbledore did not completely trust him (which I find hard to believe knowing Dumbledore tendency to even examine every little crooks of his memories to make sure he has not overseen something, I don't think he could ever have taken even a minimal risk with Snape if he had not been 100% positive he was "faithful" to him) then Dumbledore would not have wanted to tempt Snape with dark art related matters. That does sound very lame from dumbledore, though... Plus loosing Snape as a potion teacher and then a year later due to the curse would have implied recruting two more teachers and a head of house.
- if snape is on the good side and Dumbledore has an iron cast reason to trust him, then Dumbledore would not have wanted to have Snape leave due to the curse, but would have wanted to keep him close. Bear in mind that Dumbledore never doubted that Voldemort would come back, so Keeping Snape close if he was a double agent working for the light side would have been strategically important.

Why was Snape, in HBP, given the DADA job at long last?

It was ultimately Dumbledore decision and nobody elses. He also gave the post to Snape before he found a replacement for the potion position as when he goes to get Harry from his relatives he tells him he is short of a teacher. Dumbledore knows that by giving the postion to Snape, the greasy teacher will by the end of the year be at best gone at worse dead or souless. At that point in the book, Dumbledore trusts Snape, so an important event must have taken place for him to sacrifice such an important piece of chess in the game he plays against the dark Lord. He was willing to loose his own spy in the Dark Lord inner circle, somebody without whom close by he would not have survived the curse placed in the ring only a few weeks before. In my opinion the only thing that we know of that could have prompted this decision is if Snape told Dumbledore about the vow he had taken. To me, Dumbledore if told about it, would have come to the conclusion that Snape would have to kill him at one point or another,as I am sure he accepted the that he had to die would at all cost try to stop Draco from becoming a murderer. From that dumbledore would have realised that Snape's position in Hogwarts was compromised and that he might as well give him the curse position. That then freed the postion for Slughorn and gave him an easier access to pivotal info on horcruxes

Why did Snape keep applying for it in spite of the yearly refusal?

I find hard to believe that Snape did not know the position was cursed, seeing that it was pretty much common knowledge in the school and that he was in the inner circle of the dark Lord and close to Dumbledore both who knew about the curse.
knowing Jo's brilliance at planting red hearing I can't help but think that the fact that Snape wanted the DADA position so badly smells very fishy indeed. After all, he excels at potion (he certainly seems to be one of if not the more gifted student in a couple of generation), the first time we hear about Snape and the DADA position is from a student and J.K loves to slip false info hidden under the pretence of rumours. Snape does say to Umbridge that he applied every year to the DADA position, but if it was part of his cover as a double agent in agreement with Dumbledore then he would have had to lie to the toad to protect his cover, especially in front of the student that keep the rumour mill runnning.

Anyway, that was my first post and it did not intend for it to be that long , hope I did not bore you to death!

She who must not be named