Malice and Ulterior Motives

[sinaz0211]

No: HPFGUIDX 138873

> Amiable Dorsai:
<snip>
> Why agree to the Unbreakable Vow?
<go upthread to read the reasons>



Sinaz responds:
  By the time Snape made his UV, Dumbledore
 1)already had the ring horcrux 
 2)had involved Snape, to some extent,in his search for the         
horcruxes, at the least by going to him for the counter-curse on the 
ring. Probably Snape knew more than that, as DD had been looking for 
the horcruxes "for a very long time." It's possible that Snape may 
be the only teacher who knows about DD's search. And lastly, he  
3)had made the decision to put Snape in the DADA position. 
  So, here's my theory to attempt a cannon-based explanation for 
Snape's killing of Dumbledore, and for accepting the unbreakable 
vow. 
   We know that Marvelo's ring had, "a terrible curse on it. Had it 
not been..for my own produgious skill, and for Professor Snape's 
timely action when I returned, I might not have lived to tell the 
tale." After that, it would be logical for DD/Snape to have a "worst 
case scenerio" conversation. You know there's a good chance that one 
of these is going to kill me. If so, you *must* promise you will 
continue the Horcrux search. It's the most important task, and 
Harry's too important to the final 1/7 of LV's soul to leave the 
whole search up to him. You're the best man for the job, etc.
   Part of that conversation may have also been...under no 
circumstances can I fall into enemy hands. DD had told Harry 
regarding Riddle's diary, "What intrigued and alarmed me most was 
that the diary had been intended as a weapon as much as a safeguard."
When he and Harry arrived at the horcrux in the lake, and he gave 
Harry his instructions before drinking the potion in the basin, 
Harry asks,"What if it kills you?" "Oh, LV would not want to 
immediately kill the person. He would want to keep them alive long 
enough to find out how they managed to penetrate...and why they were 
so intent on emptying the basin."  Finally, as he is drinking, DD 
says, "It's all my fault. I know I did wrong. Don't hurt them, hurt 
me instead. I want to die. KILL ME!"
   Hence, the famous, "Severus, please" line. I think it had been 
discussed in advance, Snape took in the scene, saw it was 
indeed "worst case" and did what he had to do, with the curse that 
would ensure his mentor would not face a fate worse than death. 
Knowing the alternative, I think he could "mean it" for the AK.
Couple that with the fact that, if he doesn't, he dies as well from 
his UV, and two horcrux hunters are dead.
    Now, why did Snape take the UV with Narcissa to begin with? This 
is my (sorry!) long-winded point of agreement with Amiable Dorsai. 
He needed to know Draco's plan. He cements his standing with the 
Death Eaters. And - the Malfoy family, vulnerable right now anyway 
because of Lucius' failures, now owe him big time. That's important 
because it may be where he hides out when he flees in book 7. 
Wouldn't that be handy if there's something hidden in the Malfoy 
house, in that "chamber under the floor." Was it plans of the 
Malfoy's house that Snape brought to the OoP in Grimwald Place?  
    One last little snippet, the chapter title "Spinner's End." I 
love the dual meaning there. It's the chapter where Snape quits 
playing both sides and bets his hand. I just happen to think it's 
for the Order. But because Snape's cannon is not good guy, but at 
best redemption -- probably after his death -- the only thing he can 
do in Book 6 is scream, "Don't..call..me..a..coward!!"

Sinaz.