'...He was taking too much for granted'

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 161476

 
> Abergoat:
> 
> > Chrus, I think it is a reasonable speculation that Dumbledore said
> > 'you made the vow, you will fulfill it' and Snape felt that was
> > 'taking too much for granted'. From Bella's words at Spinner's End it
> > seems Snape doesn't do the 'dirty work' like killing - so Snape may
> > have objected that Dumbledore thought Snape was capable of killing. If
> > so, Dumbledore neatly checkmated Snape: Snape's choice was two dead
> > men and a teenage killer or performing the act himself so there was
> > only one dead man and an adult murderer.
> 
> > But that investigations into the house don't fit in...
> 
> Sydney:
> 
> I think the "house investigations" was starting in on another subject,
> and as for the rest, yeah, I'm certain that's what was going on, and
> the 'checkmating' of Snape is just how I see the Tower scene! 

> The fact that Snape says he doesn't want to do it anyMORE suggests
> that he was once reconciled to the idea and has gotten cold feet as
> the event looms.

Pippin:
It's reasonable to think that 'I don't want to do it any more' refers to
the vow and 'you take too much for granted' has to do with Snape's
loyalty, but I think that those are the misinterpretations we are
supposed to make and we should be asking whether Snape ever
agreed to do anything else and  what else Dumbledore took 
for granted. 

What comes to my mind is that Snape agreed to do something at
the end of GoF --"If you are ready....if you are prepared" and that
Dumbledore took it for granted that Death Eaters could not 
enter the castle--"which, I admit, I thought impossible." In that
case it sounds to me as though Snape was arguing that he should
abandon the watchful waiting strategy and deal with Draco more 
directly, but  he couldn't do it without compromising his double
agent role, which Dumbledore was not willing to permit.

How that would fit in with the vow, I am not sure, but the third
clause only takes effect if it seems Draco will fail, which leaves the
door open for any number of ruses which would avoid the 
appearance of imminent failure. 

Pippin