HBP The memory in the cave... is Snape's.

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 138054

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "merpsiren" <merpsiren at y...> 
wrote:
> Okay here are more of my explanation...
> 
> Would Voldemort really trust ANYONE whose family he had murdered
> right before that person's eyes?
> 
> My take on this...
> 
> Voldemort demands sacrifices and punishes his Death Eaters without
> consideration of what the DE may think of him in return.  Voldemort
> expects everyone will fear him and that he can control their 
behavior
> and actions by this power of fear.  So, if he killed Snape's family
> and "spared" Snape's life, Voldemort would see himself as showing
> mercy and expect Snape to learn that further disloyalty will be
> punished with Snape's life.  Voldemort would believe this to be a
> strong enough threat to keep Snape in line since death is what
> Voldemort fears for himself.  
> 
> Voldemort thinks nothing of asking the Malfoy's to allow Draco to 
take
> his place as a Death Eater.  Narcissa recognizes that Draco is 
being
> set up as a punishment for the actions of Lucius
 and yet Voldemort
> doesn't fear that this request will push the Malfoys away from him,
> but demands that they make the sacrifice that is expected of 
them.  
> 
> Bellatrix Lestrange declares in the chapter "Spinner's End" that 
she
> would be proud to offer up her sons (if she had any) to the 
service of
> the Dark Lord.  
> 
> Kris

Richard here:
I see a World of difference between Voldemort's treatment of the 
Malfoys and the hypothesized treatment of Snape's family.  In the 
case of the Malfoys, Draco is "given the opportunity" to redeem his 
family's honor in the service of Voldemort.  If he dies, he dies, 
but in an attempt to redeem family honor, not murdered in cold 
blood.  In THIS we see what I believe Voldemort considers mercy.

In the case of Regulus Black, we see Voldemort punishing a traitor 
with death, but haven't seen an punishment of the broader family.  
(This doesn't mean it didn't happen, but we have no support in canon 
that I know of to support such.)  This is also a sort of mercy, in 
that the ancient approach to dealing with traitors often involved 
killing off entire families, killing the leadership of the families 
and selling the rest into slavery, and other similarly terminal 
solutions.  The wizarding World tends towards some archaic 
approaches, so I don't see such an approach being inherently alien 
to Voldemort or the Death Eaters ... and thus the "mercy" of 
limiting direct punishment to the guilty party.

Now, Draco actually managed to achieve all but the murder of 
Dumbledore by his own hand.  The way I see it, Draco will be 
punished for NOT killing Dumbledore, but this will be punishment for 
a clear failure to obey Voldemort's order.  Given the apparent code 
of behavior among the Death Eaters, it would not be regarded as 
unexpected, or even inappropriate, should Draco be killed for 
his "crime."  He didn't obey a direct order by Voldemort, nor did he 
redeem his family's honor.  (I don't believe Draco WILL be killed by 
Voldemort for his failure, but Draco isn't going to like what is 
done to him one bit.)  This is a far cry from Voldemort murdering an 
infant in cold blood.  And still farther from killing such an infant 
and his mother in cold blood, just in case that infant might 
possibly be a threat at some later date.

As for Bellatrix's assertion about being willing to sacrifice her 
non-existent sons in the service of Voldemort, we have two problems 
for your theory.  First, she has no sons, and so isn't likely to 
appreciate just what such a sacrifice means to many a mother.  
Second, having a son or sons die in service is again not the same 
has having an infact pulled away and killed "just in case."

We still don't know why Voldemort offered Lily the chance to step 
aside and live, rather than simply killing her out of hand as a 
means of being efficient in the enterprise of disposing of Harry, 
but it is important to note that she WAS given that option.  Even 
Voldemort doesn't kill purely for convenience.  And we even know 
that Lily (and James) had defied Voldemort at least thrice to that 
point.

So, no, I don't see Voldemort as thinking he can simply kill family 
members, and particularly wives and infant children, without serious 
adverse effects on the survivor's loyalty.

Richard