amanuensis1 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amanuensis1) wrote2007-04-13 11:31 am
amanuensis1) wrote2007-04-13 11:31 am
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META: Did Snape know Draco's task?
Little bit of meta here, my take on one question posed by the Spinner's End chapter of HBP: did Snape indeed know what Draco's task was when he claimed to Bellatrix and Narcissa he did? Here's what Snape says:
"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."
Some readers have speculated that he might not have, that he was bluffing. If that's so, that means he didn't know exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to make the Unbreakable Vow. Why would Snape have taken such a risk? Possibly because he didn't know Draco's task and figured he darn well needed to know what Voldemort was plotting, so, by telling Narcissa "It's all right, you can speak freely with me," he'd have the chance to find out something crucial.
I don't see anything in that chapter that directly contradicts that idea; Snape's hesitation before he says the last words of the vow could also be said to support it. Perhaps he hesitates because he has no idea what he's promising, but knows he can't back out at that point without having his bluff called. However, one can also explain the hesitation if Snape does know that Draco's been directed to kill Dumbledore, because Snape would realize that by doing so, he's signed his own death warrant, since he's thinking there's no way he'll carry it through.
I'm more inclined to think that Snape does actually know, even though we have no hard-and-fast evidence. What we do have, though, is what can be seen as a clean example of an author's contrivance to keep the knowledge from the reader, by shrouding the element in "we must not speak of it, the Dark Lord has commanded," and "I already know of the plan." Keeps the reader in the dark. And that's all the explanation you'd need, as to why he says that. I think that's the most compelling element to sway me in that direction. But I do think that the chapter, and all the rest of the text, can support either hypothesis.
"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."
Some readers have speculated that he might not have, that he was bluffing. If that's so, that means he didn't know exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to make the Unbreakable Vow. Why would Snape have taken such a risk? Possibly because he didn't know Draco's task and figured he darn well needed to know what Voldemort was plotting, so, by telling Narcissa "It's all right, you can speak freely with me," he'd have the chance to find out something crucial.
I don't see anything in that chapter that directly contradicts that idea; Snape's hesitation before he says the last words of the vow could also be said to support it. Perhaps he hesitates because he has no idea what he's promising, but knows he can't back out at that point without having his bluff called. However, one can also explain the hesitation if Snape does know that Draco's been directed to kill Dumbledore, because Snape would realize that by doing so, he's signed his own death warrant, since he's thinking there's no way he'll carry it through.
I'm more inclined to think that Snape does actually know, even though we have no hard-and-fast evidence. What we do have, though, is what can be seen as a clean example of an author's contrivance to keep the knowledge from the reader, by shrouding the element in "we must not speak of it, the Dark Lord has commanded," and "I already know of the plan." Keeps the reader in the dark. And that's all the explanation you'd need, as to why he says that. I think that's the most compelling element to sway me in that direction. But I do think that the chapter, and all the rest of the text, can support either hypothesis.
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Plus all of the pensieve jaunts. I couldn't believe that they were mere exposition. I felt JKR was a better author than that. So I thought, maybe something else is happening with those pensieve jaunts. Something. Like maybe every time they go into that pensieve it...weakens Harry. Or puts him further under the power of the person who took him into the pensieve. Something! Just not mere exposition. It had to be hiding something, because the exposition was a terrible way to pad out that book.
And then Harry learned about horcruxes. And I freakin' knew that what all this had been leading up to was that Harry was a Horcrux, and Harry had to die, and this was why Dumbledore had been dancin' all around this, and...doing something to Harry, so that he'd be vulnerable to being killed (much to Dumbledore's distress, mind! But something that needed to be done). And here was the kicker: when Dumbledore tells Harry that he knows the location of one of the horcruxes, and Harry says, all trustingly, "Can I go with you when you destroy it?" and Dumbledore is described as having this odd well of emotion about him...I was sobbing, "Oh, HARRY." All through the cave scene, I really, really, really thought Dumbledore was taking him there to kill him.
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In fact...okay, you know how *not* suspicious a mind I have? So...I was spoiled (mostly) three hours before I bought the book by a post on snape_potter that said "Why would you people slash Harry with a murderer????"
And yet? When I got to the tower scene and Snape is standing over Dumbledore, wand pointed at him, surrounded by Death Eaters, I was still saying to myself "Gosh, I wonder how he's going to get out of killing Albus?"
*is pathetic*
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Except that Dumbledore's tricky like that too, darn him. ^_^
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