Draco, the UV, and the First Time (was: re: Trial of Severus Snape - UV)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 141594

 
> Ceridwen:
> Snape withdrawing would have broken his vow, but Dumbledore sacking him 
> would have been beyond Snape's influence.  Yes!
> 
> But I don't see that it would have negated the third and worst part of 
> the vow.  If Draco doesn't succeed (he didn't, he couldn't in the end 
> kill Dumbledore) then Snape would have to do it.  And if he was sacked, 
> he could still have come in that night to finish off the deed through 
> the Vanishing Cabinet with the other DEs.

Pippin:
It depends on how you figure Snape escaped dying for Draco's
other failures. "And, should it prove necessary...if it seems Draco
*will* fail" (emphasis mine) could mean that Snape is only
obliged to intervene if he perceives Draco is *about* to fail and
timely intervention by him will mitigate the failure. If failure
has already happened by the time Snape finds out, he's off the hook. 

If Snape had been sacked, the Order would not have allowed him
to enter the tower without a fight. Or Narcissa and Bella might have 
been willing to undo the vow (if that's possible) rather than take the
risk Snape would go to Voldemort (having nothing to lose) and
reveal their willingness to discuss a top secret mission with
someone whom they didn't know was in on it and, in Bella's case,
suspected of being an enemy spy.

Whatever happened that night, we are due for a reveal in Book
Seven -- Rowling admitted as much by saying she can't tell us
very much now.

Pippin