Snape: the Riddle... (LONG)

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 135994

Excellent Sigune. It's just quite excellent.. *Valky gives a very
approving nod but is slightly speechless otherwise*. 

Sigune:
No doubt a portion of his brain tells him that he finds himself in a
danger zone (mark his unease at the sight of her tears); but his
vanity and pride send signals that are too strong for so weak a man
to resist. Snape is deeply enjoying his power over Pretty Cissy. He
says yes, not out of the goodness of his heart, but because it is his
moment of triumph over all he has wanted to be but has not been able
to reach. He has finally come to the point where he can bow down to
pick up a pure-blooded aristocratic beauty from where she is
grovelling in the dust.

Valky:
Yeah, I didn't come exactly all the way round to this, but now, I'm
sold on it. Although it's still possible to believe that Narcissa's
beauty and Severus' affections for her and her son are part of the
manipulation, I agree that it is essentially a manipulation and Sevvie
let himself be flattered and tempted right into the web. In fact it's
probably even more a possibility that Severus' affection for the sweet
blond pair was the reason Narcissa was so knowledgable concerning his
human weaknesses and was able to play on them so. Bella was clearly
disliked by Snape and she obviously knew nothing of how to tempt him
into a snare, this is, painstakingly, expounded to us right before Ms
Malfoy makes her calculated moves.

Sigune:
He is ashamed of having been tricked like a novice. He has made an
elementary mistake; and where in canon have we ever caught Snape
admitting a mistake? Dumbledore, yes. Sirius, yes. Remus, yes. Snape?
No way. He makes errors and he is aware of them, but he does not
admit them. He tries to solve his problems on his own, in silence. So
he does what he is good at: the telling of partial truths. He informs
Dumbledore of the assassination plot and of the fact that he has made
a Vow to protect Draco, but he never mentions the full pledge. Only
he, Narcissa and Bellatrix (and Peter?) know of that.

Valky:
Can only say, I totally agree with that. A hard life for Severus'
definitely but only because of his stubborness and unwillingness to
come to terms with his own faults.
Which brings me to Dumbledore. I agree that Snape told DD half truths
and concealed everyting he could from DD about the extent of his
dilemma, but I doubt, I truly doubt that he could conceal *all* the
heart-pounding emotions and sinking guilt, or all his fear and hatred
of what he had done. And I submit, Dumbledore sensed that Severus was
in entirely too much of a pickle for his own good. For this I imagine
Dumbledore will have been deeply sad, he had underestimated the trials
he had put upon Snape, and it had become too much for him, but now it
was too late. DD, most likely, logically concluded that ultimately the
risk was to Severus or himself. He evaluated his choices and somehow
came up with allowing the course of things to proceed the way they
did. And I believe, very likely knowing that it would/could cost him
his life in the end. For whatever reasons, it was right to do this.
Although it may have been easier to save all three of the threatened
parties, I think DD freely made a choice. For whatever good it was
meant to serve, which we, maybe, haven't yet caught onto entirely.

Potioncat:
DD would save himself over Snape if he was well and able to continue
the fight but he seems to be near death. If Snape dies, so does DD. I
think there is some communication between DD and Snape at this point.
***DD sacrifices himself just like Ron did in the chess game. Just as
Ron tells Harry and Hermione what moves they must make after the
Knight is taken, I think DD has told Snape to make certain moves
after the Rook( castle) is taken***

houyhnhnm:
Good point. I think Ron's actions in PS/SS do foreshadow Dumbledore's
on the tower. As much as I agree with those who don't feel that
either Snape's or Dumbledore's characters are consistant with a full
and open disclosure about the Unbreakable Vow (though there is an
*awful lot* we don't know about their relationship), for me, it all
comes down to Dumbledore's "Severus ... please". Since I can't
believe Dumbledore would plead for his life, the only other
explanation is that by this time, Dumbledore knows and has extracted a
promise from Snape to step in if Draco appears to be succeeding.

Valky:
I like this one Potioncat. It ultimately makes a lot of sense. DD, I
think, knew what he was risking that night. (I don't think it was the
first time Trelawney had come knocking on his door with forshadowings
of tragedy and death in Hogwarts). And I believe that he was firm in
himself that when it happened, he would bring it as close to him as
possible, like Ron in the Chess game who was probably playing himself
into the danger square from the start and trying hard to protect
Hermione and Harry from it. And DD, once it was upon him, he made
himself ready for this to be a move twoards the ultimate victory,
again like Ron. 
Here's another forshadowing that fits the Tower scene. Ron shouts the
future moves at Harry, and remember that they told Hermione "don't
move we are still playing". I this exactly what happened to Harry in
the Tower?