DD would not make Snape take a UV (Was: RE Good Reasons for DD to die)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 156764

> Carol:
<snip> I think that Snape took the
> (canonical) UV because Narcissa asked him to swear to protect and
> watch over Draco, as he intended to do, anyway. Taking that 
particular
> vow was no great risk (he was used to walking a tightrope between 
life
> and death, anyway) and would persuade Narcissa that he was on her 
side
> (as he was, in the sense that he wanted to protect Draco and keep 
him
> from commiting murder or being killed) and would help to dispel the
> last of Bellatrix's doubts about his loyalty to LV. (Neither of 
them
> was likely to tell Voldemort, who would not approve of their going
> behind his back to protect Draco.) The third provision obviously
> caught Snape by surprise (the hand twitch), but since he was on his
> knees with his wand hand bound by ropes of fire to Narcissa's, 
there
> wasn't much he could do except agree to it. (I believe that he 
told DD
> about all three provisions but am not going to argue that here.)
> 
>
a_svirn:
Not a great risk? I wonder how you can say that. When you take a UV 
your very life is at stake – literally. I'd say the risk is 
ultimate. Unless you argue that Snape was suicidal and wanted to 
shuffle off this mortal coil anyway (so why not impress Bellatrix 
while he was at it?) you can't possibly call the risk negligible. 

Moreover, the question of risk aside, as we all know, taking the vow 
muddled his already somewhat murky loyalties. Snape, being as he is 
more that commonly astute, was bound to consider this angle too. In 
fact, that was the angle he should have considered first and 
foremost. Somehow jeopardising the Resistance war effort just to 
allay Bellatrix's suspicions does not seem worth a gamble. As for 
Narcissa, she was already there on her knees pleading with him. She 
didn't look like someone harbouring dark suspicions.