Draco the Death Eaters and Voldemort (was: Re: Draco's culpability...)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 139928

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "phoenixgod2000" <jmrazo at h...>
wrote:
 
> One thing I don't think I heard you say was what sort of punishment 
Draco should recieve for his actions. Even if there were mitigating 
circumstances there should be a consequence to his actions. After 
all, it wasn't like he was being held at gunpoint. He kept up his 
actions even after he was safely behind the wards of hogwarts and
he could have gone to dumbledore at any time. Should he have his wand 
snapped? should he be imprisoned? What should happen to him
according  to you?

Pippin:
Dumbledore does not seem to believe that there should be permanent
penalties  when there has been no permanent harm...and that even
proven killers should be killed only if they resist arrest or capture.
He believed that Draco would be murdered if Voldemort knew he had
been found out, and he did not believe that Draco deserved that.

It was dangerous to leave Draco free to try again, but 
as you say, there are many spells on Hogwarts for the physical
and mental protection of its inhabitants. There might be  more
than one meaning to Dumbledore's statement that killing is not as
easy as the innocent believe. 

AFAWK, no child has ever been able to kill by his own hand at
Hogwarts, despite all the dangerous magic they do.

I think that's why the Death Eaters' entry into the castle was indeed
necessary to the murder plot. Snape told Draco that he wasn't going 
to get anywhere without backup, and Draco told him he was going 
to have backup, better than Crabbe and Goyle. 

Phoenixgod: 
> Why thank goodness for Dumbledore? Dumbledore has no authority to 
give forgiveness or pass a benediction to Draco. The only people
who can do that are the ones he hurt or nearly killed. What would
Bill, Ron, and Katie think of Dumbledore calling Draco an *innocent*
and 
trying to get him into hiding so he can avoid the consequences of
his  actions?

Pippin:
There is no canon that Dumbledore intended Draco to go without 
punishment because he didn't want him to be killed,  any more than 
Harry intended that Wormtail not be punished when he refused to 
allow Sirius and Lupin to murder him. 

Dumbledore is the law at Hogwarts, and head of the Wizengamot
besides. He cannot grant moral forgiveness, nor did he claim to,  
but he can certainly grant mercy. 

What punishment would you suggest for Draco? Draco has effectively 
been expelled and is currently in the custody of

a) a murderer who believes he failed in his mission or 

b) Dumbledore's man who  has a knack for devising sadistic
punishments.

Either way, he's probably envying Lucius his nice safe cell.

Pippin