Unbreakable Vows

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 165578

> Snow:
> <snip>
> In a likewise manner, if Snape understands the terms agreed to during 
> the Vow to be something other than what was actually meant (a 
> loophole) then he could accept the conditions without detriment. 
> 
> The third stipulation to the Vow allows for such a loophole:
> 
> "And, should it prove necessary ... if it seems Draco will fail ..." 
> [...] 
> 
> "will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to 
> perform?"
> 

Neri:
I personally don't like this looking for loopholes. The Vow scene is a
very dramatic one, and would be cheapened by this or that loophole.
Moreover, if it was the only loophole required to save Snape from the
blame of killing Dumbledore, it might have been worth it. But for that
you also need several additional loopholes on the tower, and the
combined effect would IMO amount to poor writing on JKR's side.
Especially since she give us very little information on the UV magic. 


> Snow:
> If the Dark Lord has indeed ordered Draco to kill Dumbledore at his 
> own hand from the beginning, why would Narcissa ask "should it prove 
> necessary" and "if it seems Draco would fail"? 
> 

Neri:
Because Snape has just made it very clear to her that he will not take
the task *instead* of Draco. The Dark Lord gave the task to Draco and
Snape will not go against the Dark Lord's orders. So the whole third
clause is only made possible by Snape's detailed estimation that the
Dark Lord does not believe Draco will manage the task and actually
means for Snape to do it in the end, but he's determined that Draco
must try first. Therefore Narcissa stresses that Snape is required to
step in only "should it prove necessary... if it seems Draco would
fail". Draco must have the first shot, or it's going directly against
the Dark Lord's orders and Snape would refuse it. BTW, this wording
also implies that Snape is quite free to refuse the third clause even
after he had already accepted the previous two. Otherwise Narcissa
would have taken advantage of that to make him promise doing the deed
without Draco attempting it first.


> Snow:
> We are led to believe that Dumbledore is Draco's main objective and 
> that his death must be at Draco's hand but there is no substantial 
> evidence that any of the parties were aware that Draco was to be the 
> killer at the point of the Vow. 
> 
> If, as I suspect, Draco was under the assumption that he had backup 
> on his mission, then his assignment changed after the Vow had been 
> taken and Snape would not be held liable ... or would he become 
> liable because of Narcissa's vague wording? 

Neri:
So what was the task to be in the beginning? Narcissa says that Draco
doesn't stand a chance because even the Dark Lord has never succeeded.
But if the task was infiltrating Hogwarts, Voldemort has already done
that (in SS/PS). If the mission is smuggling DEs into Hogwarts,
Voldemort has done that too (Crouch Jr. in GoF, and of course Snape
himself). And Narcissa adds that not only the Dark Lord, but *nobody*
has ever succeeded before. This limits options considerably.


Neri