Voldemort's Plan in Book 7

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 144815

>Jen:
>Maybe a crack in his Occlumency came during the interrogation when
>he returned after the graveyard? Or maybe when Dumbledore was near
>death and Snape saved him from the ring curse, did a flicker of
>feeling break through and was accessed by Voldemort? Nothing big or
>flashy, just some slight moment that gave away Snape's feelings for
>Dumbledore or his allegiance.

Orna:
I think it's possible. But even if not, my understanding of 
Voldemort is, that it wouldn't matter in his toying around with him. 
I mean, if he thought Snape was DDM! – he would kill him of course, 
but even if Snape proves from his POV to be continuously loyal to 
him – I think he would reward him on the short term, and coerce him 
into impossible situations on the long term. Voldemort can't afford 
to have a feeling like trust evolve in himself. If he were to accept 
anybody's loyalty for a long period – this feeling would be bound to 
arise. He wouldn't be able to feel "weakened" by a trust which stems 
from gut-feelings, and not by control with legilimancy and 
manipulations. (Not to mention "complications like dealing with 
disappointments – as we see with Lucius, Bellatrix). I imagine him 
continuously inventing missions for his servants, which place them 
in conflicted situations – like sacrificing Draco, and Narcissa 
knowing about the task – he could have left it a secret between 
himself and Draco. Like placing Wormtail (a marauder) in Snape's 
place – surely a torture for both of them. As long as he does those 
power-manipulations, (rewarding punishing, and enticing his servants 
to more tasks) he knows  that he is powerful, and not some weakling 
trusting or believing in friendship, perhaps even beginning to long 
for them. It's interesting that his connectedness with his "true 
family" is that the second he presses the dark mark - they have to 
come. Again this paradoxical thing, where instead of longing, 
wanting, being happy that someone arrives,  we have obedience, and 
checking on the speed of it. 

 Therefore I think, it's part of his necessity to put his servants 
in emotionally impossible places – where they "prove" there loyalty 
by doing something which hurts them, and their human feelings. 
Narcissa has two choices – to be loyal to Voldemort, and sacrifice 
her son or to endanger herself by trying to save or protect her son 
(BTW again the motive of "testing" in act mother's love against self-
preservation). 

Snape, even if he is ESE!Snape (not IMO), looses all his ability to 
live in the WW after killing DD. He will be hunted, cursed, looses 
his teacher's place. He looses in Voldemort eyes, whatever social 
connectedness he had by this, and has now only the DE to rely on as 
social supporters.  Since Snape, as we know, is a very lonely 
person, it is a most accurate hit in his weak spot. Compare it to 
the Malfoys- who were able to live in the WW quite comfortably – 
having their own family, and quite an active social life – ministry 
included. 

What I'm trying to say, is that there doesn't have to be any precise 
suspicion on Voldemort's part, in order for him to arrange a plan, 
which uses the person's weakness against himself – it is part of 
his "relation" to his followers. 
But perhaps you are right in some breach in occlumency helping 
Voldemort to channel the plan right into the "soft spot" – if he 
thought some human connectedness was between Snape and DD – he would 
look for a plan, which forces Snape to betray this emotion. A little 
bit like room 101 in Orwell's 1984 – somehow forcing the person to 
betray the person, whom he loves, cares for.  That's also what Harry 
would have felt – had he not run to the MoM in OotP – if he had just 
assumed it to be impossible, and waited more, something inside him 
might have felt, he had been willing to let Sirius die. So it's 
again a twofold bad situation. 

>Jen:
>I hesitate to say LV is no longer a threat to Harry, but I do think 
>he has given Harry all the weapons needed to defeat him, and Harry's
>blocks to overcome are within himself. He doesn't fully understand
>his power or believe in it, and now there's the side-show with Snape
>that draws the focus from Voldemort. Although Harry's laser focus on
>the horcrux in his pocket is foreshadowing, I think. He's really not
>going to be diverted by Snape unless Snape gets in his way...and,
>erm....we can guess what that means!

Orna:
I think that's the crucial thing we have to see. If Harry gets 
distracted by his hatred towards Snape from his main task – 
Voldemort is winning. If he meets Snape, and both of them are able 
to find a way out of this entanglement, – Voldemort would cease to 
be a threat for Harry. We think a lot about what Harry is going to 
do. But I don't believe Voldemort will send Snape on a two-month 
vacation. I rather think he will escalate Snape's situation, and 
have him somehow get mixed with Harry perhaps also having Draco 
there in a way – don't know how, but something there. Perhaps having 
Snape put in a place, where guarding Draco endangers Harry, and vice 
versa. 
 
I'm not very clear in this post, I'm just trying to play around with 
ideas, hoping to understand more of Voldemort.

 >Jen: Heh, I like your devious mind. ;) Likely we won't hear much
>about it now that the Dumbledore/Snape link is broken. Maybe in
>retrospect?

Orna:
My dark mark is showing <g>

Orna