Why DD did not ask Snape to kill him. (extremely long)

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 165940

Dana:

> `If he has forbidden it, you ought not to 
> speak,' said Snape at once. `The Dark Lord's 
> word is law.'

> ...

> `It so happens that I know of the plan,' he said 
> in a low voice. `I am one of the few the *Dark Lord* 
> has told. 'Nevertheless, had I not been in on the 
> secret, Narcissa, you would have been guilty of 
> great treachery to the *Dark Lord*.'

houyhnhnm:

Your ellipsis in the portion of "Spinner's End" 
quoted above leaves out a couple of things that I 
feel may be fairly important to the interpretation 
of what exactly is going on in that scene.

First there is the fact that "Bellatrix looked 
satisfied for the first time since she had entered 
the house".  Secondly, there is Snape's excursion 
to the window.  These two factors make it perfectly 
plausible to me that Snape's first objective was 
to neutralize the threat posed by Bellatrix, and 
once he was secure of that, to turn the situation 
to good account by bluffing his way into Narcissa's 
confidence.  At least I see nothing that contradicts 
such an interpretation.

But I see little in that chapter of certain 
information, as opposed to plausible speculation, 
about who knew what, or how any of them stand with 
Voldemort, or what Voldemort has or has not ordered.

It seems to me that just about every poster who 
cites "Spinner's End" to argue against DDM!Snape 
(whether or not they are espousing ESE!Snape; I 
know you are not.) makes the assumption that all 
three players in the scene are speaking the 
literal truth.  Why is that a valid assumption?

We *know* that Snape is the Dark Lord's favorite 
because Narcissa says so.  We *know* that Snape 
already knows of the Dark Lord's plan because 
that's what he tells Bellatrix.  Do we?  I, for 
one, wouldn't trust anything any one of them says.

All three are either directly or indirectly 
involved in a company of outlaws run by a murderous, 
torture-loving megalomaniac who rules by instilling 
fear and distrust.  That alone puts them in a 
perilous position.  In addition there is Narcissa, 
whose husband is in prison and whose son is being 
threatened with death.  There is mad Bella, the 
fanatic devotee, whose last mission for the Dark 
Lord ended in utter failure.  Then there is Snape.  
Whatever side one believes he is on, I think we 
can all agree that he is playing a dangerous game.

So we have three high stakes players, each of whose 
interests may be at odds with those of the other two, 
and all of whom work for a boss who maintains power 
by keeping his followers in the dark and pitting one 
against the other.

What do we know for sure about what is going on in 
Death Eater circles?  Or what LV wants or doesn't 
want?  Or whom he trusts? I don't think we get any.  
At the end of the chapter we know about the UV and 
that's about it for certain, because it seems obvious 
to me what all three of these people are doing at 
Spinner's End.  They're bluffing.  They're lying.  
They're spinning.  They're flattering.  They're 
threatening. Each one is trying to psyche out the other two.

For that reason, I'm not sure how much can be 
concluded from the events at Spinner's End.  I 
think it is a safe assumption that Narcissa knows 
about the plan.  I'm not absolutely certain that 
Bellatrix does at this point.  She may just know 
that something is up.  She is outraged at Snape's 
claim that he is in the loop.  ("You know about 
the plan?" said Bellatrix, her fleeting expression 
of satisfaction relaced by a look of outrage.  
"*You* know?")  Snape may know or he may be bluffing.  

I don't think we can make any other assumptions, 
especially about what Voldemort did or did not want.  
All we have are three (ostensible) minions whose 
self-interests conflict, and they're all lying.  
Anyone who has ever had a really bad boss--the 
kind who encourages flattery and back-stabbing--and 
experienced the special kind of hell of a workplace 
environment that results, should be able to relate.