[HPforGrownups] If Snape told DD about the UV, how would DD have responded?

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 137572

justcarol67 wrote:
> Suppose that he goes to Dumbledore and says something like,
> "Headmaster, forgive me. I've done a stupid and terrible thing." And
> then he tells the story, the true story with the complete vow and what
> he saw in Narcissa's mind.
> 
> What, based on our canonical knowledge of Dumbledore, which we know
> includes total faith in Snape, would Dumbledore have said to him?]

> And answer only if you think Snape either did confess or may have
> confessed the whole truth. I only want to know what a good and wise
> Dumbledore might have said to a troubled follower who has quite
> possibly just doomed them both by making a vow he really had no choice
> but to make.

> Carol, for whom Snape is as much a tragic figure as Dumbledore

Kathy writes:

      In reading Chapter 2, I was more surprised to see that Narcissa 
knew the plan, and I assumed that Snape also knew the plan. There had 
been a year's worth of meetings that Snape had attended, Voldemort was 
obviously convinced that he was faithful, and just as obviously 
convinced that Wormtail was not faithful, just cowardly. It might be 
that, having regained a body and his powers, Voldemort simply did not 
want Wormtail around him in a favoured position and dumped him on Snape. 
Snape obviously gets away with treating him like a servant.
      I think that Snape knew or guessed that Narcissa might contact him 
about Draco's task. He might not have been expecting Bella. He would 
also be aware that Bella did not trust him, but it does not appear to 
concern him.He is quite comfortable in his position of Voldemort's 
favourite. The other Death Eaters in the tower seemed to confirm this 
fact later.
      I believe that Dumbledore was dying from the spell damage to his 
hand and told Snape that he must do everything possible to cement his 
position with Voldemort, and that he must be in position to aid Harry 
when the time came. This would be the task of overwhelming importance.
      Snape was actually the one who brought up to the sisters that 
Voldemort meant him to perform the task if Draco was unable. No one 
really believed that Draco could do it.  He was untrained, had not come 
into his full powers, had no real fighting experience, and had not a 
hope in Hell. Voldemort would have told Snape about it because Snape was 
again in the best position to pull it off if Draco failed as expected.
      I believe that Snape spent a few seconds going over the advantages 
and disadvantages of making an Unbreakable Vow and decided to go for it, 
as it would likely provide him with more information on how Draco 
planned to accomplish his task. When Narcissa added the third part of 
the Vow, it was no more than what Voldemort had told him he must do, and 
I think the hand-twitch was caused by concern over what Narcissa might 
choose for actual wording. I think that he thought he might have wriggle 
room. If the plan never came to completion, he wouldn't have a problem.
      I believe that Snape told Dumbledore that he had taken the Vow and 
the exact wording of it. Dumbledore would have told him that it was 
unlikely to be a problem, that he had time to foil Draco's attempts in 
the meantime, and to keep an eye on Draco so that they could stop him 
before he got in too deep. This is what Snape spent all year doing. 
Draco became more desperate as time went on, Snape also became 
increasingly fearful that time was running out and there were things 
happening that Draco was not telling him.
      By the time of the argument in the forest, Dumbledore was 
weakening still, had every intention of risking himself taking another 
horcrux. Snape was complaining bitterly that Draco was avoiding him, had 
something planned that he had not been able to uncover. I think 
Dumbledore lost patience with him and told him that if worst came to 
worst, he must do as he vowed. The way it looked then was that Draco was 
not going to make a serious attempt, if Draco wouldn't tell him 
anything, he could not be held to the vow, and if Snape didn't know that 
an attempt was being made, he could not carry out the third part of the 
vow either so quit worrying. I think Snape told him to Hell with it, he 
was not prepared to take the risk of being forced to kill him and that 
he did not want to do it any more. Dumbledore took too much for granted 
and was not worried enough. Dumbledore snapped back and told him that 
he'd agreed to do it and that was all there was to it.
       Nobody found out that Draco was working out a way to let Death 
Eaters into Hogwarts. Once that occurred all bets were off. Snape and 
Dumbledore were both neatly cornered. I'm sure there was a last 
communication between them, I'm sure Dumbledore apologised for placing 
Snape in that position, he was always courteous, and told Snape to get 
it done as he was dying anyway. There was no way out.
After reading this book, I felt far worse for Snape than I did for 
Dumbledore.
KJ