Clues to Snape's Loyalties

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 170868

>I wrote:
Fooling Dumbledore could have been as easy as tugging on his
heartstrings – The Dark Lord, however, is another matter.

>Magpie wrote:
So Dumbledore's a complete idiot and Voldemort has a better
understanding of human nature? I don't think so. It's not so easy to
fool Dumbledore. It can be done, of course, but so can fooling
Voldemort.

vmonte:
Lol, that's not what I said. Voldemort is not a trusting man like 
Dumbledore. It's harder to trick someone who trusts no one, right?

> I wrote:
> It is at this point that Snape has been forced off his fence, where
> he has been happy to sit and watch the world move around him.
> Snape's hand twitches and he pauses. His hesitancy shows he
> understands that he may regret this decision. But he was backed
into
> a corner. Showing his intentions to be anything other than for the
> Dark Lord and the protection of his own, especially in front of
> Bellatrix would certainly have meant his death. I think Phineas
> Nigellus puts it best in Order of the Phoenix; "We Slytherin's are
> brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, given the choice, we will
> always choose to save our own necks." (p494-495) This notion fits
> Snape to a "T" in two moments, the reason he makes the promise in
> the first place, and then when he finally has to kill Dumbledore.

>Magpie wrote:
How does it fit Snape to a T there at all? Snape is entering a
suicide pact--that hardly saves his own neck. If he wanted to stay
on the fence he should have stayed there. Refusing to take a secret
UV under the orders of Bellatrix Lestrange is not showing his
intentions to be something other than pro-Voldemort. A loyal DE
could easily have refused the Vow. I think most of them would have.
Perhaps all of them. Snape's choosing to put his neck on the line
there, not saving it. And he's not doing it on Voldemort's orders.
Voldemort wants Draco to kill Dumbledore (or more accurately, to die
trying).

vmonte: He could not refuse the vow because Bella was ready to kill 
him if he did not. I think Snape had no clue as to what Draco was 
supposed to do. You really think that Voldemort told Snape of his 
plans for Draco? Don't you think Snape would have been more involved 
with Draco's plans at school if he was so trusted by Voldemort? 

I guess we will soon find out.