Snape closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between two long fingers. "Miss Granger, I am going to tell you something which might help you understand my reluctance,’ he said, his words a little strained. "When I first joined the Death Eaters as a young man of seventeen, I was tested on numerous occasions to prove my loyalty. One such time I was presented with a victim whom I was charged to kill because she openly rejected the Dark Lord.’