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

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 141648

Pippin:
> ....I suddenly wonder if Dumbledore was pleading for forgiveness
> too. Could he have been asking Snape to forgive him for putting
> him in an impossible position by refusing to let Snape withdraw?
> Snape had only vowed to protect Draco to the best of his ability;
> if Dumbledore had sacked Snape and banished him from the school, he
> wouldn't have had to carry out the third part of the vow either.

Jen: I've been thinking about this one and wonder if Dumbledore 
banishing Snape would actually relieve him of the first two clauses 
of the Vow, or whether the Vow would really care? ;) It seems like 
the point of Unbreakable is it wouldn't matter what obstacles come 
in your path, you are bound to fulfill the Vow or die. So if Snape 
was banished he would still be obliged to find a way to watch over 
Draco, making it unlikely Dumbeldore would put such an obstacle in 
his path.

But if you change the idea up a little as KJ did.....

Then KJ added this thought in #141639:
> Snape became more and more demanding and suspicious of Draco
> during the year and Snape's failure to gain his confidence was
> likely the cause of the argument with DD in the forest. I am 
> confident that Snape warned DD and possibly asked him to leave
> Hogwarts, which of course DD would have refused to do. I think
> that this alone would have thwarted the Vow. 

Jen: Now this seems more likely to work for the *Vow*, as Draco 
would be thwarted bringing in the DE's if they won't find Dumbledore 
when they get there. Plus, Snape could fulfill the first two clauses 
of the Vow quite easily and not have to worry about an unexpected 
event like the Tower scene, where his hand is forced.

As KJ said though, Dumbledore would never leave Hogwarts.  Not only 
because everyone there depends on him and Hogwarts is his life's 
work, but also his leaving would surely endanger Draco's life as 
well as Snape's in Voldemort's eyes. Both would have to go on the 
run after Dumbledore on LV's orders, leaving Hogwarts very short of 
protection. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore stayed away from Hogwarts more 
than usual because of the Vow, though, and not because he was afraid 
of dying. He wanted to avoid a scene like the Tower as much as Snape 
did, prolong the inevitable and safeguard Draco and Snape as much as 
possible. Much as I like the idea he was pleading for forgiveness on 
the tower, it seems clear both Snape and Dumbledore knew neither of 
them could leave Hogwarts without consequences.

Another thought on the pleading which isn't my original thought, I'm 
sure: If Book 6 gave us information about Dumbledore's boggart as 
JKR said it did, could it be in that moment of pleading? Is 
Dumbledore's greatest fear Harry dying before Voldemort, and his 
plea to Snape was to finish the job Dumbledore started and can't 
complete? By that point, after OOTP, Dumbledore would know this was 
asking almost the impossible of Snape, but he would also want to 
believe Snape would do the right thing even if Dumbledore died (just 
as Harry refused to tell McGonagall anything about the Horcrux 
search just because Dumbledore died). Except in the case of Snape, 
Dumbledore couldn't be 100% certain Snape would do so because of his 
hatred, and thus the plea.

Jen, off to doggy obedience class with her very jumpy terrier.