Snape: the Riddle...(and Spinner's End)

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 136298

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

> Voldemort would not look kindly upon Snape interfering, even in an 
> attempt to help Draco.  But if Snape can explain to Voldemort that 
> he was manipulated by Narcissa's tears into taking an Unbreakable 
> Vow to protect Draco it gives him the space to manuver. (I have a 
> feeling Voldemort is > comforted by such examples of human
> weakness he feels himself beyond; it means, to his mind, that 
> Snape is really no match for him despite his abilities.)  I'm 
> quite sure that Snape read such an intention in Narcissa's mind.  
> And by taking the vow Snape has an easy excuse for interfering.

Ooh, can't agree with that.  Because Voldemort loathes weakness of 
any kind, I don't think such an admission would comfort him at all, 
especially from the individual that Narcissa claims as "the Dark 
Lord's favorite." It's the other Death Eaters that suspect Snape 
more than Voldemort at this point.  

Snape can't make such an admission to Voldemort.  It smacks too much 
of independent thinking. Voldemort does not want independent 
thinking. And as for the idea that Snape did it out of mercy and 
friendship...such concepts are not alien to Voldemort.  They are, 
however, abhorrent.      

> However, Narcissa is no idiot.  She also realizes that she'll need 
> something with which to appease Voldemort.  So she tacks on the 
> final promise, if Draco fails Snape will finish the job.  This way 
> she can explain to Voldemort that though she was protecting her 
> son, she was in no way interfering with Voldemort's plan being 
> accomplished.  I don't think she felt she was playing a fast one 
> on Snape.  She seems to trust him completely and Snape did say 
> that he was next in line for fulfilling Voldemort's wishes. So 
> though Narcissa does catch Snape in his own web, it's more by 
> mistake to my mind.

Voldemort doesn't take a mother's love--the primary human bond--as 
any sort of reason for anything.  Nor friendship.  Nor mercy.  
That's his *problem*. The only possible reason to disobey him, as 
Snape points out, is a situation like Snape faced in GoF, where he 
claims he arrived two hours late after being summoned, but only to 
be able to remain as a spy at Hogwarts.   

That's why the scene at Spinner's End is so powerful.  Everyone in 
that little room that feels like a padded cell, *knows* this. 

Leslie41