What If He Didn't Tell All?

[potioncat]

> Kneasy: 
> He's trapped by his own promise into doing something he never 
> envisaged. This could lead us into an horrendous swamp, very 
similar 
> to the 'magical contracts are unbreakable' impasse from GoF - if 
you 
> didn't agree to enter into the contract in the first place, how can 
> it possibly be binding? 
> Leading this time to: if an Unbreakable Vow is made but the vowers 
> think it refers to different things, what happens? The 'promiser' 
can 
> be considered to have fulfilled what he *believed* to have been the 
> vow, can't he? Because if he doesn't do what he thinks he's 
promised, 
> he's broken the vow based on what he thought he was committing 
> himself to.  
> Hm. Difficult.>

Kathy W:
But that is just like magical deals in fairy tales. Whether it's 3 
wishes or prophecies there is usually some twist. Sometimes that 
twist plays into the wisher's being surprised and sometimes it works 
that the mere mortal tricks the magical person. 

Snape either knew Draco's mission or had a good idea, but was 
planning to weasel out of the vow by word play. Everyone of the three 
conditions had some fudge room. The third one caught him off guard, 
but the wording still has some play in it.
> 
> Sigune: 
> As for the fact that the precise contents of Draco's mission is 
never 
> mentioned, I fail to be convinced by the assumption that Snape 
didn't 
> know what it was all about. The chapter *had to be* vague ...
snip

Kathy W:
It was just like the teaching position with Slughorn. He and 
Dumbledore knew which position was being offered. We were supposed to 
think it was DADA, just like Harry did. I however knew what was going 
on. (and that doesn't happen too often!)

Just because we thought Harry was the target, didn't mean Snape did.
 
> Sigune:
> Legilimency is very convenient, isn't it? :-) 
> However: although we have been repeatedly told that Snape is an ace 
> at *Occlumency* we don't know his skill at Legilimency equals that. 
> If it does, it becomes harder to maintain that he didn't know about 
> the Vanishing Cabinets after the Christmas chat – or do we assume 
> Auntie Bella turned dear Draco into a real expert Occlumens?

Kathy W:
Although there has been hints that Snape is a Legilimens throughout 
the books, it's never been stated. And even now, no one comes out and 
says it, but it's very clear. Seems to me he's gotten better at it. 
But he's said before, you don't just read minds like an open book. 

So unless he knew to look for the thoughts about the cabinet, he 
might not have seen them. It appears that he goads the person into 
thinking about certain experiences. Draco, upset at being caught 
during the party, might be easier to "read" than normal. Besides, 
Draco had been avoiding Snape, even to the point of disobeying orders 
to come to his office. When Draco does use Occlumency, Snape can 
detect it. Snape believes Aunty Bella is the teacher, but do we 
really know that?
 
> Kneasy:
> <He *chose* to die. No struggle, no avoidance.
> Last time somebody did that it put a spoke in Voldy's wheel.
> Something to look out for in book 7?>

Kathy W:
So who got the "benefit" Snape or Draco?