Snape, et al. Probably SPOILERS
I've been thinking about Snape and Voldemort...
Given that JKR supplies poor motivation for Snape in DH, I've been musing about why he turned on Voldemort, and more particularly why he became a DE in the first place.
First, it's clear to me that the DE's were a cult, and Voldemort was a cult leader. They worshipped him, and he abused them. At the same time, he encouraged them to believe that they were special--inherently deserving. And they couldn't quit, and they were perfectly willing to commit their kids to the same servitude. What was that, if not a cult?
What JKR omitted was the cult leader's necessary charisma. Voldemort must have seduced his followers into giving themselves to him, and must have continued to seduce new followers. Why not show it? Why not show the attraction of evil? I see no need for Tom Riddle to look and act like a snake; it would make so much more sense if he looked and acted like Ted Bundy. If the devil really had horns and a tail, he wouldn't fool anybody, would he?
I also don't think Voldemort hid the fact that he was a halfblood from the DE's. I assume that he exploited it for false humility (With dignity! the great man righting the wrong his parents did him) and ersatz selflessness ('Let no other children suffer, as I have suffered.' See Alphard's No More Children Like Us--on fanfiction.net) Certainly he must have used it to create a bond between himself and Snape!
The best fanfics I've read on this subject made it clear that Snape adored Voldemort when he joined up. Snape was a very rational man (or boy), but joining the DE's wasn't a rational decision. When and how he got his eyes opened isn't clear, but lacking outside intervention (Dumbledore? but he doesn't deprogram anybody else?), it would be interesting to speculate just how it happened. Especially, why him and not others?
Given that JKR supplies poor motivation for Snape in DH, I've been musing about why he turned on Voldemort, and more particularly why he became a DE in the first place.
First, it's clear to me that the DE's were a cult, and Voldemort was a cult leader. They worshipped him, and he abused them. At the same time, he encouraged them to believe that they were special--inherently deserving. And they couldn't quit, and they were perfectly willing to commit their kids to the same servitude. What was that, if not a cult?
What JKR omitted was the cult leader's necessary charisma. Voldemort must have seduced his followers into giving themselves to him, and must have continued to seduce new followers. Why not show it? Why not show the attraction of evil? I see no need for Tom Riddle to look and act like a snake; it would make so much more sense if he looked and acted like Ted Bundy. If the devil really had horns and a tail, he wouldn't fool anybody, would he?
I also don't think Voldemort hid the fact that he was a halfblood from the DE's. I assume that he exploited it for false humility (With dignity! the great man righting the wrong his parents did him) and ersatz selflessness ('Let no other children suffer, as I have suffered.' See Alphard's No More Children Like Us--on fanfiction.net) Certainly he must have used it to create a bond between himself and Snape!
The best fanfics I've read on this subject made it clear that Snape adored Voldemort when he joined up. Snape was a very rational man (or boy), but joining the DE's wasn't a rational decision. When and how he got his eyes opened isn't clear, but lacking outside intervention (Dumbledore? but he doesn't deprogram anybody else?), it would be interesting to speculate just how it happened. Especially, why him and not others?