Snape and Petunia/ Snape and Lily

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 155700

Meredith wrote:

> 
> ~Luckie, who wonders what would happen if the two Unbreakable Vows 
> Snape made suddenly came into conflict, and he has to chose to save 
> either Harry or Draco.
>

Ken:

That is an interesting question which we of course do not have enough
information to answer. It is not clear to me that Snape really knew
what Draco's mission was when he made the UV with Narcissa. He may
have been fishing for information for DD and had to cut that
discussion short in order to convince Bellatrix of his loyalty to LV.
Snape's hand did twitch just before he made the vow to complete
Draco's mission. I imagine that we could come up with dozens of
possible reasons for that twitch. Your question suggests to me that
one of the possible reasons for the twitch was that he didn't know
what Draco's mission was and that by vowing to complete it he may have
been vowing to kill Harry. If he had already made a UV to protect
Harry he would have either died on the spot or when the two vows came
into conflict as they were certain to do, I suppose. That would make
anyone twitch. True, at the point he twitched the third clause had not
been uttered, if I remember correctly, but at that point he had to
know it was coming. If that line of reasoning is true then the fact
that he did not die immediately may have told Snape that Harry was not
Draco's target and that would have suggested DD as the most probable
target.

I rather hope that it turns out that this interpretation is correct or
at least close to the mark. It would underscore how brave Snape is. He
certainly reacts strongly to being called a coward at the end of HBP
and I think that this is righteous anger at a false charge. I think
that no matter which side he is on he has shown uncommon and often
unrecognized bravery. You don't have to be nice to be brave or on the
right side.

Ken

Ken