Blown!Snape

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 162630

Rather than respond to everyone else's theories about why Snape 
took the Unbreakable Vow , I'm going to set forth a new one. To my 
surprise, it's something of a Gray!Snape theory.

I'm calling it Blown!Snape because it starts with the realization that there
are, or were, nine people who knew that  Snape alerted the Order that
Harry might have gone to the Ministry: Snape, Harry, Dumbledore, Sirius,
Tonks, Mad-eye, Shacklebolt, Lupin and Kreacher.

That's too many. Dumbledore can't possibly base any strategy on the 
assumption that Voldemort will never find out what Snape had done.

That left Dumbledore only two choices: call Snape in from the cold, or
make it look as though Snape's action had worked in the Dark Lord's 
interest.

Fortunately, just as his every hostile action  can be made to
seem as if it was only meant to preserve DDM!Snape's cover, benign 
actions can be made to seem as if they were only meant to secure 
Dumbledore's trust. So before the vow was ever made, IMO, 
Dumbledore had a reason to trumpet his complete trust in 
Snape while all the while plotting secretly to make it seem that 
Snape had betrayed him. 

Of course the seeming betrayal will be the end of Snape's double
agent mission to report to the Order about what the Death Eaters 
are doing. But surely that is not what set Snape's
eyes aglitter when Dumbledore sent him back to Voldemort in the
first place. No, Dumbledore was setting up his end game and the 
end game required that Snape be next to Voldemort. 

So all through HBP, Dumbledore goes about behaving as if his 
trust in Snape has reached a new level, handing him the 
long-coveted DADA post, letting him care for Katie, and telling 
anyone who will listen that he trusts Severus Snape completely.

Voldemort will perceive that by daring to alert the Order of
the DE attack, Snape was able to position himself to
encompass the final downfall of his most feared 
enemy, and what is the loss of the prophecy and a few worthless 
DE's compared to that?


This inverts the usual situation with regard to the vow. It
can explain why Snape might, with a twitch of misgiving,
agree to the last clause, but not the first two.
We have not explained why DDM!Snape, no matter how 
much he cares about Draco, would  pledge his life on a matter 
not directly related to his mission.

But it's obvious if you look at it in the right way.
Whose fault is it that Draco is to be scapegoated? Who is really 
responsible for the failure of the DE mission at the MoM? 
Who is the rightful target of Voldemort's wrath?

Uh-oh.

Once again, Snape's information has led to the targetting of an 
helpless child, not the son of an enemy this time but someone who
seems to trust and admire Snape. The child is, IIRC, the only person 
that canon ever says Snape seems to like. The mother of that child, 
all unawares, now tearfully begs Snape to save him. No wonder 
Snape can't bear the sight. 

Now we have a reason for DDM!Snape to volunteer to help Draco,
perhaps even to take the vow. He could certainly feel that he 
deserved to die if he failed and Draco was killed. But there's
more.

*Is* Narcissa unaware of Snape's guilt? 

I have felt from the first that Narcissa's begging was overwritten.
 But then I remembered overwritten Ginny sobbing her heart out
at the end of CoS,  and I began to wonder if it was meant to be a 
clue that Narcissa might be acting too. No doubt her fear for her
son is real. But does she really expect Snape to be moved by
pity, or is something else going on? 

I think what's going on is Blown!Snape.

Snape has to know that Kreacher was in communication with
Narcissa. He must know that Kreacher was unwatched between the
time that the Order left to rescue Harry and Dumbledore arrived.
Could Kreacher have told Narcissa what Snape had done?
Is that why Narcissa has come to Snape?

Theory: Though she pretends for Bella's sake that she's calling 
on Snape's regard for her family, Narcissa has something a
little more weighty on the table and Snape knows it.

That's why Narcissa offers nothing in return for the vow,
and Snape asks for nothing from her. Their bargain is unspoken,
a pretty piece of blackmail: swear on your life that 
you'll get Draco out of  the mess you got him into, or the Dark 
Lord will find out the *real* reason that the prophecy mission 
failed.

Gray!Snape and DDM!Snape now converge. If Snape refuses 
to aid Narcissa, Voldemort will learn of Snape's treachery before
Dumbledore has made its value to the Dark Lord apparent, and
Dumbledore's carefully laid plan will be in ruin.

Thoughts?

Pippin