Why did Snape take the UV? / Role of the Malfoys

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 157389

> >>Betsy Hp: 
> > There's the ACID POPS answer.  Snape is madly in love with      
> > Narcissa and couldn't resist her heartfelt pleas.  I have a     
> > couple of problems with that idea.  For one, Snape doesn't *act* 
> > like he's madly in love, IMO.

> >>Neri:
> Er... I'm curios now. How *would* MadlyInLove!Snape act, in your   
> opinion?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Waay too hot for a children's book, that's for sure! <g> Honestly, 
with adult Snape I'd imagine *incredibly intense* focus.  No "enough 
exposition to choke a horse".  No "let's discuss the psychological 
make up of the Dark Lord, shall we?".  It'd be all Narcissa from 
beginning to end.  Very "my love is in pain and I will fix it" 
thinking and acting. 

But that's my opinion and I agree that JKR takes a very different 
direction with her romances.  But at this point I haven't really 
seen Snape acting out of an interest of Narcissa and *only* 
Narcissa.  The rest of the Malfoys keep crowding in.
 
> >>Betsy Hp:
> > For another, Narcissa brings up Lucius and Snape being old      
> > friends.  Which strikes me as an odd way for a woman to go about 
> > seducing someone.

> >>Neri:
> She brings this up once, in a very mild way. It's second place to
> Snape being Draco's favorite teacher: 
> 
> ************************************************************
> "I only meant. . . that nobody has yet succeeded. . . .           
> Severus . . . please . . . You are, you have always been, Draco's 
> favorite teacher. . . . You are Lucius's old friend. ... I beg     
> you. .. . You are the Dark Lord's favorite, his most trusted      
> advisor. . . . Will you speak to him, persuade him — ?"
> ************************************************************

Betsy Hp:
Right.  Narcissa starts with her son and moves onto her husband.  
The entire Malfoy family is represented here.  I do concede that 
it's possible to give this a romantic spin.  But, given the theme of 
the books, I feel like the family has a better chance of being 
important than a great love.

> >>Neri:
> <snip of quote>
> This Lucius bashing strikes me like a strange way to earn the good
> will of the Malfoy *family*.
> <snip of more quotes>
> A bit repetitive of you, Severus, and not very diplomatic either, 
> if you are interested in the good will of the Malfoy family.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Ah, but Snape isn't interested in *praising* the Malfoy family.  
He's pointing up that they're up poo creek, and ooh, hey look... 
Snape's got a paddle.

Of course it *is* possible to interpert Snape's dialogue to 
imply, "should've married *me*, wench."  But (and I think Magpie's 
done a good job pointing this out) it doesn't fit in with the rest 
of the Potterbooks.

But family -- gosh, that's what it's all about isn't it?  And the 
Malfoys are the second most important surviving family in the 
books.  At least, after the Weasleys they're the ones we get the 
most glimpses of.

> >>Neri:
> Well, this depends on what the point *is*, isn't it? Was it        
> thematic for Merope to fall in love with Tom Sr., the tragic      
> affair that started it all?

Betsy Hp:
Yes, in that it caused her to leave her family, it tore Tom from his 
family and it left Tom Jr. with no family at all.

> >>Neri:
> The name "Spinner's End" hints that Snape was finally caught in his
> own web of lies. And thematically you don't get caught because you
> were jockeying for this or that advantage. You get caught because 
> of a tragic flaw.

Betsy Hp:
And perhaps that tragic flaw is similar to Draco's?  Perhaps Snape 
feels a strong connection to the Malfoy family.  His twitch when 
Lucius is named as a Death Eater suggests an exposed and quickly 
hidden emotion, IMO.  So I do see Snape acting in a manner that goes 
beyond mere manipulation.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > But what about the Malfoy family?  What if there's a reason for 
> > Snape to try and earn (or keep) the goodwill of the Malfoy 
> > *family*?

> >>Neri:
> I actually believed so before HBP, when I thought Lucius's good   
> word was necessary for Snape to regain his place at the Dark      
> Lord's side. But I have serious trouble seeing what reason it     
> could be now. Surely not another Horcrux when Lucius had already   
> lost the first? 

Betsy Hp:
I agree that it's not about Snape looking good to Voldemort.  
Actually, in taking the Vow and (if I'm right) trying to draw the 
Malfoys *away* from Voldemort, Snape is compromising his place in 
the Death Eater hierarchy.

I'm not really sure why the Malfoys might be important.  I can see 
thematic reasons (they're the Slytherin counterpart to the Weasley 
Griffindors), but interior plot reasons...  I suppose Horcruxes 
could be it.  Lucius is a master networker from what we've seen.  He 
might have some fairly shrewd ideas of who's been entrusted with 
precious items of Voldemorts.  (Draco may have picked up similar 
ideas, actually, just by keeping his ears pricked.) 

> >>Neri:
> Ah, yes. Can you imagine how much animosity towards Lucius would   
> Snape accumulate if he had to pretend all these years to be       
> Lucius's lapdog while being in love with Narcissa?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
It'd make an interesting romance, but that's not the sort of story 
JKR is writing is it?  Take out the "in love with Narcissa" bit and 
why would we think Snape disliked hanging with Lucius?  Everything 
in the books suggests that Lucius was a good friend to Snape.  I 
don't recall any hints that suggest Snape doesn't like him.  And if 
Snape *does* like Lucius it might hurt him to see someone he likes 
being led badly astray by a deeply flawed philosophy.  

Can you imagine the risk Snape might take to draw this family away 
from Voldemort?

Betsy Hp