Comparing Secret Keeper plan and UV plan (Re: Why DD did not ask Snape)

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 166251

> Jen: Ack, no, I didn't mean it that way!  I was rolling up a couple 
of different aspects into 
> 'free will', but not trying to say the UV somehow magically affects 
a person.  One part is 
> that you can't change your mind and back out, you carry it out or 
die.  Another point is 
> that Narcissa's clauses were vague and open to intepretation, so 
how is it determined if 
> Snape is protecting Draco 'to the best of his ability'?  I don't 
think Snape's opinion about 
> his performance would be the deciding factor, it would be the Vow 
itself somehow.  That's 
> similar to the diary 'thinking for itself' in that the Vow has some 
type of sentient ability.  
> The vowee (?) has no control over the terms or outcome.  

zgirnius:
Oops, sorry. Someone in another thread has proposed the "Vow will 
*make* him do it" theory, and I thought you were agreeing.

The Vower does have control in the sense that he can choose to carry 
out the specific actions he has promised to, or not. Snape could have 
watched Draco bleed to death, were he so inclined, a decision I 
assume would have resulted in his own death.

In the case of a vaguely worded Vow, I suppose the Vower would be 
limited by his lack of knowledge of what exactly is required, but I 
don't find the actual Vow Snape took to be all that difficult to 
understand. Snape would know when he took the Vow that there would be 
circumstances under which he could avoid killing Dumbledore and live. 
He could try to act to bring them about. However, if he failed to, 
he'd still have a choice.

Jen:
> There's likely a way to undo the Fidelius because you would want a 
normal life back if the 
> danger passed.  It follows that if a Secret Keeper suddenly 
decided, 'you know what, I love 
> this person but I can't take the risk anymore,' then the secret 
could be removed.  And 
> there's nothing subjective to the magic, you either give the 
information to someone or you 
> don't.  

zgirnius:
If the Vow's magic is what determines whether someone lives or dies, 
I presume it is objective as well. (Unlike if it depends on Snape's 
beliefs, Cissy's beliefs, or Bella's beliefs - in which case, Snape 
has even more control over his situation, either by knowing exaclty 
when he will come up against the limits of the Vow, or by having the 
option to deceive Bella/Cissy). 

We have no canon that either the UV or the FC can be removed. 
However, I would guess both can be. In the case of the UV, I suspect 
the threesome could get together, Cissy could declare herself 
satisfied, and that would be that.

Jen:
> Sorry to snip out the rest, zgirnius, but since I don't think the 
Vow as compelling Snape to 
> do anything, I couldn't really answer any of the questions!

zgirnius:
Oh, no problem. My misunderstanding.