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Harry Potter and the Skittering Spouse

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Merry Christmas, and while I think the Hermione situation could be handled better, ie by not existing in the first place after Taylor pointed out that Harry isn't wrong to use a potion that might be more effective and that Hermione ought to be happy as he's taking his studies seriously like she's always wanted, it's not a major issue. Overall this was a great chapter. Now I really want to see the fallout of this. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next chapter @Fencer.
 
Windborne said:
Merry Christmas, and while I think the Hermione situation could be handled better, ie by not existing in the first place after Taylor pointed out that Harry isn't wrong to use a potion that might be more effective and that Hermione ought to be happy as he's taking his studies seriously like she's always wanted, it's not a major issue. Overall this was a great chapter. Now I really want to see the fallout of this. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next chapter @Fencer.
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Star wars gets updated tomorrow. HPSS gets updated again the day after.
 
100% respect and admire you throwing the train off the tracks. I love to see it, and I'm all for following along where you lead us. This was a blast to read, and I'm grinning after the ending of this one.

Happy Holidays, and thanks for the chapter.
 
Windborne said:
Merry Christmas, and while I think the Hermione situation could be handled better, ie by not existing in the first place after Taylor pointed out that Harry isn't wrong to use a potion that might be more effective and that Hermione ought to be happy as he's taking his studies seriously like she's always wanted, it's not a major issue. Overall this was a great chapter. Now I really want to see the fallout of this. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next chapter @Fencer.
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Hermione prides herself in being the best, and as we all know teenagers always react in a logical and mature manner when their pride is punctured. :V
 
Snape vowed to protect Draco from harm and guide him whilst he attempted to perform Voldemort's task. I am uncertain if getting arrested would qualify as 'harm' under the circumstances, but he doesn't actually need to carry out the task nor ensure it succeeds, only guide Draco to do so.
 
You're doing the right thing. Canon Dumasdoors is indeed dumb as doors and his plan was idiotic.
I did appreciate Snape's redemption but that w the only salvageable thing.
 
Neruz said:
Snape vowed to protect Draco from harm and guide him whilst he attempted to perform Voldemort's task. I am uncertain if getting arrested would qualify as 'harm' under the circumstances, but he doesn't actually need to carry out the task nor ensure it succeeds, only guide Draco to do so.
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Also, the question is, is it just he has to do his best to protect him from harm? So say he protects him from harm, gets knocked unconscious and then Malfoy gets killed will the unbreakable vow kill him or would it qualifies him having done everything he could to protect him?
 
Luca Nox said:
Also, the question is, is it just he has to do his best to protect him from harm? So say he protects him from harm, gets knocked unconscious and then Malfoy gets killed will the unbreakable vow kill him or would it qualifies him having done everything he could to protect him?
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We have no idea how unbreakable vows work, but I would assume that since he said 'protect Draco from harm' rather than 'try to protect Draco from harm' it will trigger if Draco is harmed regardless of whether Snape could do anything about it.
 
Neruz said:
We have no idea how unbreakable vows work, but I would assume that since he said 'protect Draco from harm' rather than 'try to protect Draco from harm' it will trigger if Draco is harmed regardless of whether Snape could do anything about it.
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Actually, having to look it up, there are several caveats. One, if it is literally impossible for you to do it, it doesn't qualify. So if you vowed to kill a person and they're already dead, then it doesn't count. By that same measure, I imagine, if you vowed to protect someone and they're killed without you possibly being able to know about it, it also doesn't count.
Second, he vows to protect him to the best of his ability. Which means that, so long as he did everything he could, he's fine. The last part is executing his order... Well, that's tough luck
 
And now we get to see the train wreck.

As for the school kids being school kids… well, that is what they are. When it comes to Hermione I'm not that surprised. In the books she was a bit less caricature and a bit more vindictive so this would work in either setting.
 
Luca Nox said:
Actually, having to look it up, there are several caveats. One, if it is literally impossible for you to do it, it doesn't qualify. So if you vowed to kill a person and they're already dead, then it doesn't count. By that same measure, I imagine, if you vowed to protect someone and they're killed without you possibly being able to know about it, it also doesn't count.
Second, he vows to protect him to the best of his ability. Which means that, so long as he did everything he could, he's fine. The last part is executing his order... Well, that's tough luck
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Ah right, I forgot about the third part, yeah he'd need to kill Dumbledore in Draco's place then.
 
Let's review the exact wording of the three vows
Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?
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Pretty sure Snape just doing his Head of House duties would fulfill this oath. He watched over Draco (and other Slytherins). Draco getting caught prematurely wouldn't violate his obligations.
And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?
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The "best of your ability" saves him here. Snape is skilled but he can't overcome teenage stupidity. Whether it's here with Draco not paying attention or in canon when Draco needlessly starts a brawl in the bathroom (and as a reminder Snape doesn't keel over after Malfoy got Sectusempra-ed)
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?
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And here's the trainwreck part. If Draco fails, Snape now has to off Dumbledore. What constitutes failure? Draco's death or imprisonment? What if he's arrested, but someone springs him before reaching Azkaban, is he still in the running?
If Draco is considered to have failed, how long does Snape have to perform the deed? Can Snape wait out the clock on the Ring's curse and fulfill the Vow? Does Dumbledore have enough time to give over the Horocrux info before Snape has to kill him?
 
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Fencer said:
Faux the phoenix resting on his perch.
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🤣 His name is 'Fawkes', not 'Fake'.

Maglad said:
Canon Dumasdoors is indeed dumb as doors and his plan was idiotic.
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He's like Ned Stark. His plan to deal with his opponent is based on what he'd do in their place. Ned assumes Cersei will run back to Casterly Rock as he himself would run back to Winterfell. For Dumbledore, he would be careful, precise, and competent. So he assumes Draco will be that way. Except Draco isn't any of those things, any more than Cersei was the type to run away.
 
So Taylor now knows about the vanishing cabinet and that Voldemort's followers are in control of its pair. I wonder how much explosives she and Harry would consider an appropriate amount to send them. Might be too late for such a plan, but worth considering.

If it wasn't for the disagreement with Dumbledore then it might have been practical to aid an Obliviated Draco in it's repair while setting up a trap on the Hogwarts end to kill the Death Eaters when they arrive.


kaplo_blast said:
And here's the trainwreck part. If Draco fails, Snape now has to off Dumbledore. Is there a time. What constitutes failure? Draco's death or imprisonment? What if he's arrested, but someone springs him before reaching Azkaban, is he still in the running?
If Draco is considered to have failed, how long does Snape have to perform the deed? Can Snape wait out the clock on the Ring's curse and fulfill the Vow? Does Dumbledore have enough time to give over the Horocrux info before Snape has to kill him?
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Depending on how much the vow cares about intent that may or may not be the case. It specifically does not state that Snape should kill Dumbledore if Draco fails. It poses two conditions, "should it prove necessary" or "if it seems Draco will fail".

"Should it prove necessary" is pretty useless based on exact words. Necessary doesn't have the context needed to matter.

"If it seems Draco will fail" is more interesting. What matters here is what counts as failure and what information Snape has. If Snape believes the Draco won't succeed, the Vow is active.

Consider if Draco is dead, he can't kill Dumbledore. Draco has failed, but the Vow's text requires that Snape believe Draco is going to fail, not that he believes Draco has failed. Things get more complicated here if Draco is alive but Snape believes he won't kill Dumbledore. If Snape sees a plot fail and thinks "this brat will never succeed" he would, by the text of the Vow, be obligated to kill Dumbledore. If Snape sees Draco dragged off to Azkaban then it comes down to whether that counts as Draco having failed or being likely to fail at his task.

So there is ambiguity in a strict reading of the Vow. But that doesn't necessarily determine Snape's actions, as he is likely to act on the Vow as he understands it rather than test it.
 
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Noone can say they didn't warn him.

I am certainly excited to watch the school explode, Draco and Snape fall, and all the students to be slapped in the face by the reality spider. It's a very ugly spider. With hair. And dripping venom.

Draco failing immediately and Snape only getting to teach Defense a grand total of once is the perfect karma.
 
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Neruz said:
Hermione prides herself in being the best, and as we all know teenagers always react in a logical and mature manner when their pride is punctured. :V
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Ehhh she knows she is not always the best at everything. Harry typically beats her in Defense, it's his best subject by far. Honestly her getting jealous in Year 6 was one of those things that never made a lick of sense to me. I can see her being upset at first, but not holding on to it for more than a few minutes and certainly not for over a week.
 
I am VERY curious as to how things will shake out in the next chapter. Good lord are things about to implode... It will be glorious.

Fencer said:
I blinked. That had been… easy. Did catching people off guard really make things this simple?
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Yes Harry, that's why all your enemies stick to that strategy themselves.

Taylor was all business. She took Malfoy's wand and tied him to a chair facing a corner for some reason.
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Hah! She took his toy away and put him in the corner like the naughty child he is!
 
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