The "row" in the forest--what Snape doesn't want to do any more (Was: Mr. Sn

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 136845

Carol responds:
It seems certain to me that Dumbledore knew about the Unbreakable Vow.
First, he is not surprised when Harry mentions it, indicating that
Snape has already told him about his confrontation with Draco. Second,
Dumbledore knows that Draco has been trying to kill him all year. He
has not suspected anyone but Draco or been misled as to Draco's
intended victim. He also knows or suspects that Draco has an
accomplice outside Hogwarts, information that could be deduced from
what Snape (or Harry) told him. Snape's conversation with Draco occurs
between the necklace incident and the poisoned mead (a flawed plan
that is probably already in motion since it's christmas time and the
mead is supposed to be a Christmas present). Almost certainly Snape is
following Dumbledore's orders in speaking to Draco, not acting on his
own because of the vow. Certainly he is not doing it because he wants
to steal Draco's "glory." His idea of "helping" Draco, up to that
point, has been to put his two accomplices in detention. Now he is
forced, probably by Dumbledore, to take more direct action.

Valky:
Wow, thanks for the brilliant reply Carol, sorry for my tardiness
finding it.
Ok to start, I have to say you make an excellent case for this. I'm
fairly well convinced that canon fully supports the hypothesis that DD
and Snape were arguing about Snape watching over Draco. It also
explains why DD's trail of conversation leads into the resposibility
of watching over the Slytherin House. It could be that he was implying
there that Snape could more easily guise his shadowing of Draco in
that responsibility, but I think, more likely, that DD was reminding
Snape it was too late in the year for him to be taken off duty as Head
of House and his responsibility to investigate would remain, in any case.

Carol:
When Harry tells Dumbledore about this conversation, Dumbledore is not
only not surprised, he tells Harry that it's likely he understands
more from it than Harry does, a statement that the reader ought also.

Valky:
Absolutely. And Harry does have a lot of information at this time, so
it's actually, possibly, a much larger statement about what DD knows,
as you eloquently put, Carol.

Carol:
Unfortunately for all
concerned, Draco is supremely unconcerned that Snape has put his life
on the line. Perhaps he doesn't know what an Unbreakable Vow is; more
likely he doesn't care about anyone's predicament but his own.
Realizing that the interview is going nowhere, Snape tries one last
tactic, expressing understanding for Draco's feelings about his
father, which leads to Draco storming out the door. The interview has
been a fiasco. There is no point in making a second attempt.

Valky:
Exactly. Draco, who has also been pressed hard into a corner himself,
has limits to his compassion. This scenario imitates the third task in
GOF, I think. Where Harry sees three victims and can't think but to
save them all, Draco deliberates his purpose and forsakes all else for
the saving of his most dear thing (His Family) and the glory of winning.

Snape is here, just like Gabrielle, while Lucius and Narcissa would
make a good Cho and Ron analogy. True to his word in GOF Draco is not
going to waste precious minutes worrying about the helpless blonde
(who was, incedentally, in the most danger since her saver couldn't
produce her Bubblehead charm. oh good foreshadowing dontcha think..)
he's there for his one most precious and to win the race. He makes it
painfully clear to Snape and I don't see why Snape could have any
reason to doubt that. 

Carol:
I almost wish, for Snape's sake and Dumbledore's, that he had done so.
He might not have died redeemed, but he would not have the terrible
sin of Dumbledore's death splitting and tainting his soul. And
Dumbledore would have died in any case, since only Snape could save
him. (I say "almost wish" because I still have hope that Snape is
loyal to Dumbledore and will somehow help Harry in Book 7.)
to consider.

Valky:
I firmly believe that Sevvie, although he created himself an awful
mess, deserved the trust of Dumbledore, and that Dumbledore definitely
shouldered some of the burden of fault here himself, although Snape
probably didn't realise it. Sevvies task was never easy, and moreover
he did have weaknesses, as much as he would like that he didn't have
any. Unfortunately his stubborness about that, I believe, got the
better of him and he trapped himself, once again in a self made prison
(Ok some aren't going to like this next statement but I believe it's
apt), this time James didn't save him. 

But in the end I think he will have dwelled on it all enough, and his
sudden remarkable fondess for Harry (yes you heard me correctly, I
think, Sevvie has found it increasingly harder to hate HP to a point
where he almost doesn't) enough that in a soon to be event Snape will
redeem and be proven always loyal to DD. 

Sorry to be not backing this with mounds of canon right now, I've
built the picture on the kind of canon interpretations that I had
investigated in my Human!Snape posts. (And there will be more of them
soon enough). 

Valky
Who also sees Snape as trapped in HBP, and feels that DD understood
well how Snape had done it to himself. And while he trusted Snape to
the end, he had long hoped that he could perhaps guide Sevvie away
from making another mistake like this. Alas.