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

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 136447

> >>Leslie41: 
> 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.

Betsy Hp:
By comfort, I don't mean Voldemort would be *pleased* that Snape 
took an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco.  And I'm quite sure that 
Snape realizes this.  But Snape *does* want to protect Draco and he 
also realizes that Voldemort doesn't want Draco helped or protected 
in any way.  Draco was assigned this mission as a punishment for 
Lucius.  Draco is *expected* to fail, and he is expected to die.

I think that by taking the Vow, Snape has given himself an out.  He 
can now work to protect Draco and unless Voldemort wants to lose 
Snape as well, Voldemort will have to let Snape give Draco 
assistence.  I doubt Voldemort would be pleased with Snape, but I 
think he holds humanity in contempt for their weaknesses.  The fact 
that Snape has his own weaknesses would be expected on Voldemort's 
part.  I imagine Voldemort feels he has a pretty good handle on his 
various Death Eater's weaknesses and uses them to keep everyone in 
line.  So yes, in taking the vow Snape made a mistake and he'll be 
punished for it (if Voldemort is that angry) but since I think 
Voldemort expects mere humans to make stupid mistakes based on 
feelings, he won't kill Snape for it.  
  
> >>Leslie41: 
> 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.    

Betsy Hp:
But Snape *does* take the Vow.  I can't think that he did it on 
Voldemort's orders.   I also doubt Snape did it because he was moved 
by Narcissa's tears.  And he certainly wasn't trying to impress 
Bellatrix.  There has to be a reason Snape put himself into that 
position and what I'm currently coming up with is that by taking the 
vow Snape is putting himself into a position where he can protect 
Draco.  What other reasons are there for Snape taking the Vow?  (I 
ask that with genuine curiosity.) 

> >>Leslie41: 
> 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. 

Betsy Hp:
I absolutely agree.  But I think that Narcissa hopes that by tacking 
on the end promise that Snape will finish the job if Draco fails, 
she'll save her own life.  IOW, Voldemort will be angry with her, 
but he won't kill her.  Or, to give Narcissa the benefit of the 
doubt, she's hoping to save Draco's life by assuring that even if 
Draco fails the job will get done.  Again, I think they're trying to 
mitigate the degree of Voldemort's anger.  

Betsy Hp, hoping she's made some sort of sense 'cause she starting 
to confuse herself