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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 161519


> Pippin:
> > 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.
> 
> Abergoat asks:
> But was it possible for Snape to deal 'directly' with Draco? I'm not
> sure if the vow allows that. What type of action are you thinking
> Snape wanted to take? Could be an interesting direction!
> 

Pippin:
I'm thinking Snape wanted to do what he did in the end: grab Draco
by the scruff of the neck and drag him to safety. Defying Voldemort's
orders would have resulted in Snape's death, vow or no vow, unless
he could successfully fake it, but in any case it would have ended his
role as double agent, in which he could serve not only as spy but
as Dumbledore's ace in the hole. 

 Would the vow stop him from doing that?  It only says, "Should it 
prove necessary...if it seems Draco will fail..."  JKR could drive a 
coach and six flying horses through that one.  

For example:
Is the vow capable of divination? Does it know that Draco's
imminent failure will prove that it was necessary for Snape to fulfill
the vow or does it have to wait until some consequence has 
occured?  If not, how long does Snape have to act? As soon
as  possible? Within a reasonable amount of time?  Indefinitely?

 And what is meant by necessary: necessary to kill Dumbledore
or necessary to save Draco if he fails? In Narcissa's DE mindset
the two are linked. She could not conceive of letting a known 
enemy live when you have the power to destroy him. But 
DDM!Snape could.

It seems to me that Dumbledore must have planned to
feign his own death even before Snape took the vow. There
really was no choice. The elephant in the HPB livingroom is
the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort that took 
place in OOP. Once that happened it should have been clear,
though no one mentions it, that Dumbledore's days as 
Headmaster were numbered. There is no escaping Voldemort
once he has tried to kill you (unless you're Harry), and 
Voldemort definitely tried to kill Dumbledore then.

Pippin