[HPforGrownups] Re: ESE, DDM, OFH, or Grey? (WAS: DDM!Snape the definition)

[Scarah]

No: HPFGUIDX 162541

Sydney:
No skin off his nose?!  No.. skin.. off his nose.. dude, we get this
again and again from OFH!Snapers I this just makes no kind of sense at
all.  This is a vow that you break it, you die.  Snakes of fire wrap
around your hand and Bind Your Fate Forever.  You don't get
main-chancer, OFH, playing-the-odds wiggle room here.  Again, why
would a guy who's about life preservation *take an Unbreakable Vow at
all*?

Sarah:
By playing-the-odds wiggle room, I think you're referring to what
people have been calling Grey, which I don't believe.  LDS (Life Debt
Snape, not Latter Day Saints) isn't counting on wiggle room.  He
already knows what he has to do, and if he can't it'll be worse to him
than anything the UV could bring on.

Sydney:
Why would you write such a scene about such a character?  You
say it's because the 'kill D-dore pact' was already in place. But
that's not what Snape was swearing to do or die.  He was swearing to
protect Draco from all harm and watch over him as he did the Dark
Lords wishes-- the third clause, going by the 'twitch of his hand',
was unexpected.  He was putting his life on the line for somebody
else.  That's just simply, plain, out-and-out, NOT a way for a writer
to efficiently paint a picture of a guy who is all about
self-preservation.

Sarah:
You think she wants us to efficiently guess the end at this point in
time?  No, someone who is not trying to give the end away would not
paint an efficient picture.  The reasons to write such a scene about
such a character are:  misdirection while giving just enough clues so
it's not a cheat.

OK, now I see what twitch you are talking about, thank you.  I can
think of any number of explanations for that.  Snape doesn't like to
talk about killing Dumbledore, Snape doesn't want to think about what
will happen if Draco fails, etc.

If you really think killing Dumbledore was a surprise from Narcissa,
and Snape put his life on the line to promise he would kill Dumbledore
to protect Draco, how is he Dumbledore's man?  Wouldn't that make him
Draco's or Narcissa's man?

Sydney:
Yeah, but, again, if Snape knows and Dumbledore knows that this is the
point at which either Snape or Dumbledore will die, and Snape knows
and Dumbledore knows that Snape is Mr. Self-Preservation, then *why is
Dumbledore having to plead*?  Why does he use a voice so pleading and
out of his usual tone that it shocks Harry to the core?

Sarah:
I thought that was just more of the Harry filter, to be honest.  I
thought Dumbledore said please because he's a polite dude, and his
voice sounds funky because he's a) getting weaker by the minute b)
doesn't really want to ask this as it's a hell of an imposition, but
it needs doing.  I don't see how it makes that big of a difference
whether Dumbledore and Snape love each other forever or not.  They are
certainly on pretty good terms (assuming lack of ESE which I think we
both are), and this is certainly a big favor to ask.

Sydney:
The LifeDebt Snape explains the same things as DDM!Snape because it
explains the same things on the bare level of action (except of course
for the Unbreakable Vow and wanting the DADA job and pretty much every
single thing relating to Peter Pettigrew).

Sarah:
I think it explains the UV, for reasons I've tried to explain but you
may not agree with.  I think the DADA job isn't a large enigma, it's
Snape's version of reading the weather report to see if Dumbledore has
anything big in store for him in the coming year.  I'm unsure what
problems it creates for Peter Pettigrew, could you elaborate?

Sydney:
So then what's with Snape's innermost thoughts actually being really
mysterious at all?  And why have Harry have such potent emotional
reactions to him for book after book?  Why not just get this cool fun
'out for himself but bound by magical debt' character in the open
where we can enjoy the 'which way is that crazy Snape going to jump?"

Sarah:
Do you really think Snape will have three pages of exposition, leave a
suicide note, or perhaps leave Harry some pensieve memories that
explain it all?  Why is this Snape idea more "cool fun" and bears more
mockery than anyone else's?  Why not ask the same of DDM, ESE, or any
other?  Let's get all those cool fun guys out here.  Which way is that
crazy in love with Dumbledore Snape going to jump next?

Sarah