Draco, the UV, and the First Time - The Overblown Vow

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141651

Kathryn Jones <kjones at t...> wrote:
>
> 
<SNIP>
> This would indicate to me that the Vow 
must 
> be rather literal in its operation and would not necessarily depend 
upon 
> the person's knowledge that he or she was breaking it.

Lupinlore:
I think you are absolutely right on this one.  I don't see some 
heavenly court sitting around waiting to hear appeals on the wording 
of UVs.  I suspect it is extremely literal in its operation, thus its 
power.


Kathryn Jones:
>       Dumbledore was injured prior to this conversation and was 
probably 
> already aware that he had not much longer to go. It became 
absolutely 
> necessary to cement Snape's position with Voldemort. 
<SNIP> When Snape arrived on the tower at the precise 
moment 
> of Draco's failure, his hands were tied. In order to obey DD's 
directive 
> to get closer to Voldemort, he had to kill Dumbledore to live. 


And once again this is where all this speculation breaks down.  The 
idea that this was anticipated in advance and that all of this played 
out to gain Voldy's trust is totally unbelievable and so cheesy it 
would attract every rat in the Potterverse (which is not to say, 
unfortunately, that JKR won't go that way, the mozzarella factor in 
the Potterverse increased markedly in HBP after all).  Snape being 
bound by the vow and having to choose between DD's life and his own I 
can buy.  Snape having concern for Draco's life I can buy.  DD 
ordering Snape to kill him, either as part of a preset contingency or 
as part of some unbelievably contrived legilimency scenario on the 
tower -- pardon me while I smell the Stinking Bishop (and if anybody 
out there hasn't seen Wallace and Gromit, from whence cometh that 
reference, this is a great weekend for a matinee!).


Lupinlore