Snape's half truths in "Spinner's End"

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 149504

> >>Miles:
> <snip>
> If you want information, it is sometimes good not to let the      
> informant know that he gives something to you. That's what he is 
> trying to do: let Narcissa tell him the task, without letting her 
> and particularly Bellatrix know that he didn't know it before. It 
> turns out that he is too clever here, but his strategy is not     
> stupid -it just, but only just, failed.

> >>Magpie:
> I'm afraid I think the strategy is far more stupid than you do.    
> Pretending to be just seconds too slow to stop Narcissa from      
> speaking vs. getting locked into a death vow?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I agree.  If Snape *was* trying to collect information he'd have let 
Narcissa finish her sentence.  I think it would be a rather large 
and unnecessary risk to lie to Bellatrix about the depth of 
Voldemort's trust in him.  She was shocked that Snape knew the 
plan.  If she got a wiff of a suspicion that he was lying she'd use 
that to try and turn Voldemort against Snape.

Plus, Snape gives too much information for someone playing at 
knowing more than he does.  He tells the women that Voldemort made 
this plan out of anger.  That there's no way to change Voldemort's 
mind (implying, I think that Snape may have made a subtle attempt 
that quickly hit a stone wall).  And that if Snape remains 
uninvolved, if Draco succeeds, Snape could remain at Hogwarts for a 
little while longer.  All of that before gaining any hint of what 
Draco is supposed to do.  In fact, Snape's words gives the *reader* 
hints about Draco's mysterious task.

I agree that the person in the dark during this little scene was the 
reader.  Hence all the mysterious uses of the word "it".

> >>Miles:
> > Narcissa told him that Draco won't be able to succeed, and she   
> > asked him for help. He just takes the information she gave him   
> > and draws conclusions.
> > Draco won't be able to succeed = the task is difficult, Narcissa 
> > asks him to help Draco = he would have better chances. Nothing   
> > magical or mysterious here.

> >>Magpie:
> Oh, so the line is more empty than it came across to me in canon. 
> To me (and I wish I had it with me so I could check) the line     
> about "He's always intended for me to do it in the end" stood out 
> as meaning more than it seemed, not less.  But you're saying, if I 
> understand you, that Snape is just still bluffing saying, "Oh,     
> Voldemort always intended for me to do this task in the end,"     
> still not knowing what the task is, and the line is more directed 
> to the women than to himself.  I hate to lose my important line, 
> but without the book in front of me I can't look for any reasons   
> why this interpretation doesn't work.

Betsy Hp:
Well, here's the text:

[Narcissa is clutching and crying on Snape] "You could do it.  *You* 
could do it instead of Draco, Severus.  You would succeed, of course 
you would, and he would reward you beyond all of us --"
"Snape caught hold of her wrists and removed her clutching hands.  
Looking down into her tearstained face, he said slowly, "He intends 
me to do it in the end, I think.  But he is determined that Draco 
should try first.  You see, in the unlikely event that Draco 
succeeds, I shall be able to remain at Hogwarts a little longer, 
fulfilling my useful rolse as spy." (HBP scholastic p.34)

First, Snape stops Narcissa's rather desperate gushing.  (I did not 
get the impression that he believed anything about big rewards, 
etc.)  And he does speak slowly, which suggests to me that he's 
thinking.  It's soon after this that he offers to help Draco.  Which 
goes against what we've been told are Voldemort's orders.

I suspect that Snape is reeling Narcissa in.  For some reason he 
wants her to ask him to help her son.  But then Narcissa takes it a 
step futher than he'd forseen by asking for an Unbreakable Vow. 
(Narcissa is used to dealing with Death Eaters perhaps? <g>)  I 
suspect Snape decided the risk was worth his goal and agreed.  And 
when the third provision was sprung I think he felt his goal worth 
dying for.

And, since I'm DDM!Snape all the way, I'm quite sure the goal is 
something both he and Dumbledore are aware of.  And, as we see at 
the end, it's a goal Dumbledore feels is worth dying for too.

> >>Magpie:
> <snip>
> So I thought Snape was flat out saying that he thinks that        
> eventually his double agent days would be set up against DD in    
> this way.  The line stuck out to me as important in just that way, 
> as Snape seeing that destiny looming into view.

Betsy Hp:
I think Snape is well aware of the DADA curse.  So I'm fairly sure 
he and Dumbledore saw his double agent days coming to an end when he 
was assigned the job.  (I think he had the job before Bellatrix and 
Narcissa arrived, pending Slughorn being hired on.)  

I can see Snape getting a grim sort of chuckle out of the third part 
of the Vow.  A sort of "so this is how it ends" moment.  Because I 
do think he expected to be the one to die by the end of the school 
year.  But again, his goal was worth it, so he agreed to the third 
Vow.

Betsy Hp