Snape: the Riddle... (LONG)

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 135918

zgirnius:
Oh, *wonderful* post. This is in outline what I have been betting 
really happened in Book 6. Some comments...

 "severelysigune" wrote:
> The Unbreakable Vow is the kind of narrative device that alerts the 
> reader of fairy tales to impending doom. 

zgirnius:
*Yes*, very well put!

severelysigune again:
> Although he had not originally agreed to it, he has magically 
pledged 
> himself to kill Albus Dumbledore. Dear dear, he is in deep – you
> know.

zgirnius:
This is one point I see differently. I do not believe that at this 
point Snape knows *what* he has committed himslef to. Like, you , I 
saw Snape's actions as being influenced/motivated by Cissy and 
Bella's good cop/bad cop routine, btu I did not think that was *all* 
there was to the scene. My suspicion is that Snape did not know what 
the mission was, and a major reason Snape worked to gain Cissy's 
trust was to learn this secret. He pretended he did know as part of a 
ploy to worm some details out which would allow him to figure it out.
(The language used by both Cissy and Bella to describe this task 
would get any spy interested.) 

So I think Snape is at this point commmitted to carry out a mission, 
and he doesn't even know what it is. Whichever of us is right, I 
entirely agree that he did not go running to DD with the whole 
story...at the very least he would want to figure out first what it 
is that he had just committed himself to do. I'm not sure if he knows 
already at the Christmas party conversation with Draco...in factm he 
may be hoping that his disclosure to Draco about the UV will cause 
Draco to confide in him. 

severelysigune again:
> No doubt it helped 
> him perform a convincing Killing Curse.

zgirnius:
There has been a lot written (in numerous posts) about that AK of 
Snape's...it differs some from other AKs we have seen in its 
immediate effect (blasting DD into the air instead of just dropping 
him where he stood) and in the appearance of its victim after the 
death (eyes closed, peaceful expression). I don't think, though, that 
this has to mean the death was prearranged. One possilibity is that 
this could be how a failed AK acts. We've never been shown one which 
hit the target but *failed* before. We know this can happen with 
other Unfrogivables, as for example when Harry tries to Crucio Bella 
in OotP. Alternatively, Snape might have considered the possibility 
of failure and used a nonverbal spell to cause a flash of green light 
and throw DD off the tower, speaking the words Avada Kedavra for the 
benefit of the watching DEs. Finally, it could just be how Snape's 
AKs work, as apposed to LV's or Pettigrew's. 


severely sigune again:
> Severus Snape will not be on the side of the Dark forces in Book 7. 
<snip>
> But, I fear, despite his essential allegiance to Dumbledore he is 
> highly unlikely to survive Book 7 – the story's logic may
> well demand his demise for killing the thing he loves.

zgirnius:
That's how I see it too. (Though he will alomst certainly be *at* 
their side!) But he's certainly in a position to do very interesting 
things in Book 7. I can hardly wait to see how this all plays out!

Finally, I snipped the entire analysis of Snape's possible actions on 
the tower and their likely consequences, which was given earlier in 
your post. I have nothing to add. This was the *best* part of the 
post, as far as I am concerned! Very clear, very logical. I can so 
see this running through Snape's head in that long moment after he's 
taken in the situation, and before he acts.