But Snape *Had* to Kill Dumby--Unbreakable Vow?

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 133026

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "regalusblack" <bundy at m...>
wrote:

>Did he, even though he tells Cissy, really know what Voldy's mission
> for Draco was, or was he just feigning that since Bella was there? 

I doubt that he knew anything about Draco's mission.  I think that as
a good spy, he took an opportunity to get inside info on something
that was clearly important, perhaps important enough to wager his
life on.

He lied to Cissy and Bella, lied through his teeth, in hopes of
playing the distraught Narcissa for information.  There's no way
Voldemort trusted Snape enough to tell him everything.  He went
through with the Vow for the same reason--he thought the information
he might gain was probably worth his life.  Even if he couldn't get it
from Narcissa, Narcissa would surely tell Draco that Snape would back
him.  With luck, that might induce Draco to spill something important.

I think Draco did eventually let spill that his job was to kill
Dumbledore.  I think it happened right before Snape's argument with
Dumbledore, and I think that Dumbledore ordered Snape to go ahead and
kill him, Dumbledore, when the time came.

Why?  My guess is that Dumbledore was dying anyway.  He was almost
finished telling Harry what he needed to know about Horcruxes, and he
wasn't going to be around much longer to help him further anyway.  Why
not use his death to ingratiate Snape with Voldemort?  Voldemort can't
possibly really trust Snape at this point.  Yeah, he tells a good
story, and yeah, he occasionally gets useful information, but there's
always the possibility that Snape is Dumbledore's man.

But if he kills Dumbledore, he must be loyal.

Snape is almost certainly finished as a spy for the Order--they can't
possibly trust any information he gives them now.  But he can fill
another role, he can be a time bomb.  He can bide his time, and when
the moment comes...

Amiable Dorsai