Contra Severum - quick clarification

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 134522

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "hekatesheadband"
<sophiapriskilla at y...> wrote:
> snipsnapsnuur:  
> > You've got a little bit of a logical fallacy going on here. You 
> > believe that Snape is returning to Voldemort, which may or may not 
> > be true. ...edited...

> -hekatesheadband 
> 
> ... was that Snape is "returning to Voldemort" morally and in terms 
> of alleigance. ... His actions, meanwhile, make it more likely 
> that Draco will fall into Voldemort's clutches physically, and that 
> Voldemort will therefore have more opportunity and power to 
> influence Draco morally. 
> 
> The only inference I feel justified in making, on the basis of the 
> text, is that Snape is more likely endangering than protecting Draco 
> by removing him from Hogwarts, and that that strikes me as not 
> reflected well on Snape's intentions. ...
> 
> Many thanks for calling me on that one, and sorry for the confusion!
> 
> -hekatesheadband

bboyminn: 

First let me point out that at the top of the tower, and as they fight
there way out of the castle, there are more Death Eaters there than
Snape and Draco. My guess was that if Draco wasn't able to kill
Dumbledore, then the remaining Death Eaters would have surely killed
him on the spot. But Snape stepped in and took charge, he dispatched
Dumbledore and dragged Draco off with him. In my opinion, dragging
Draco off in the moment saves Draco's life. 

Once everyone has had time to cool down, Snape will bring Draco to
Voldemort who will punish him SEVERELY. But after the punishment,
Draco will still be alive. Much better to be tortured for your
misdeeds than to be killed for them. Consequently, I believe Draco
will be alive and well in the next book. Who knows, we may even get to
see him tortured; that could be fun (sarcasm).

So, in a sense, you are saying that by taking Draco away with him,
Snape has doomed Draco. However, I am saying that the fact that Snape
took charge, and removed Draco from the scene is the only thing that
saved Draco. Once they are away from the scene, Draco's death is no
longer a matter of DE discretion, but becomes a matter for Lord
Voldemort to deal with. With Snape, Mr. Malfoy, and Mrs. Malfoy
begging for leniency, I think the Dark Lord may decide that after
punishment, he may be able to use Draco in the future. Draco is,
afteral, very young and it would be understandable that the task of
killing Dumbledore might have been more than he was able to do.
Certainly, greater men than Draco have wanted to kill Dumbledore and
failed.

Snape has done what seems to be a horrible thing, in fact, even under
the best of circumstance, it's still a horrible things, but I haven't
counted Snape or Draco (or for that matter, Peter) out of the game
yet. They could still come around.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn