Narcissa the bait in the Unbreakable trap (Re: Did Snape have a choice or not?)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 138563

Jen: 
> I think Voldemort is behind the Unbreakable and Narcissa is the 
> bait myself. She's a desperate woman, with her husband in jail and 
> her only son being punished....So Narcissa plays her role, one
> Bella is completely unaware of, and reels Snape in hook, line and
> sinker. Notice how Bella is lured to go along to Spinner's End--
> convenient, huh? The DE most suspicious of Snape's behavior, the
> one most likely to cast doubt on him and make him prove himself.

Jen: Thought I'd add a little bit to my own post until someone comes 
along to argue :).

I was thinking how this bait scenario might not work out if Snape 
can just legilimens the truth from Narcissa. But we don't know Snape 
is a superb Legilimens, only a superb Occlumens. It seems like in 
the evil overlord business, you would want to know what your minions 
are doing at all times since you can't trust them, so you become the 
greatest Legilimens possible. In the spy business though, your 
strength is your ability to keep secrets.

So even if Snape is attempting to learn the truth about the Vow and 
its components, he would only get a stream of images much like he 
did with Harry--Voldemort talking to Narcissa, Narcissa thinking 
about Draco, etc. Nothing to betray the fact that Voldemort ordered 
Narcissa to go to Snape if she ever wanted to see her husband and 
son alive. Not to mention Narcissa's dramatic crying and clinging--
she never gave him much of a chance to look at her before she 
plopped down for the Unbreakable.

Also, Narcissa *knew* she was going to bind Snape to an Unbreakable 
Vow--why else did she drag her annoying sister with her? Why risk 
having a witness if she's truly going against the Dark Lord's 
wishes? Especially a die-hard like Bella who would gladly turn her 
sons *and* her sister over to the Dark Lord for betrayl.

Jen:
> > People always bring up Snape and Lily, and maybe it's true, but 
> > Narcissa seems more like the kind of woman Snape would fall for. 
> > She's pure-blood, 'respectable', wealthy, a Malfoy Manor type of 
> > girl. This scene was interesting in a book fraught with the theme
> > of obsessive love. 

Amontillada (post #138549):
> The same idea has occurred to me. I'm relieved to find out that
> it's not just some distraction on my part! Snape is not a pure-
> blood, but he was Sorted into the house that puts the greatest
> emphasis on bloodlines. <snip> Snape may very well have developed
> a "crush" on Narcissa. I'm not so sure whether she saw anything 
> attractive in him or simply looked down on him. Either way, she
> followed the expected route in her family, of marrying a fellow
> pure-blood. How ironic that she turned to Snape for help in
> Spinner's End!

Jen: Neri pointed out the fact the UV, with the 'rings' tying two 
hands together, reminded him of taking a marriage vow. Poor, 
besotted Snape couldn't pass up the chance to be entwined with his 
lady love. Hehehe. Valky said the UV rings snaking around the hands 
were symbolic for 'Snape's hands being tied'. That's the real ironic 
symbolism if this scenario is true, Snape finally gets the chance to 
be connected to Narcissa, and instead the rings turn into snakes, 
trapping him in a vow he can't divorce himself from. 

Jen, with a new favorite quote from Potioncat:
"Well, if they accept the fact that Snape killed Dumbledore (some of
us don't, and we were there)..."