Hermione must be stopped/Snape's half truths in "Spinner's End"

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 149508

pudhuhepa:

> > Clearly,  if dear Bella weren't standing right there, 
> > Snape would let Narcissa go on and  tell him everything.  
> > He can't allow that to happen because Bella already  
> > distrusts him and "The Dark Lord's word is law" (or should 
> > be if I am a loyal  DE).

Magpie:

> It's not unusual for a Death Eater to want to know the 
> the big secret plan and so let Narcissa blab it to him 
> if he can.  Snape's letting Narcissa speak doesn't make 
> him look any more untrustworthy than he already does in 
> her own disagraced eyes.

houyhnhnm:

But Snape is not just any Death Eater. He is someone that Bellatrix is
trying to out as a traitor.  It's not enough, from Snape's pov, merely
not to "look any more untrustworthy than he already does". He needs to
squelch it.

I think Snape's first concern, after the sisters arrived, was to
neutralize Bella. (After that is taken care of, he can turn his
attention to gleaming information) He is accused of being a traitor. 
If he began to answer that accusation immediately, he would be on the
defensive.  Instead, he takes the offensive.  He puts Narcissa on the
defensive for being disloyal (and Bella, too, because he is implying
that he is Loyaler than Thou)  He is, if you'll pardon the expression,
manipulating both women, to throw them off balance, before he proceeds
to turn their visit to good account.

pudhuhepa's interpretation makes perfect sense to me.  It is the way
"Spinner's End" struck me the first time I read it, and it is the
interpretation that makes the most sense to me every time I reread it. 

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?

houyhnhnm:

How could Snape have known he was going to have a UV sprung on him?