Draco and Narcissa in hiding (Was: Snape's future)

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 140696

Elyse: I agree that Snape has lost his value as a spy for LV.
*(snip)*
> But it seems to me that the number of Death Eaters is really 
> pitifully small compared to the number of supporters LV had in WWW1.
> I counted around sixteen or less in OOTP after which half of them 
> got chucked into Azkaban.

Ceridwen:
But, we were introduced to new DEs in HBP that we hadn't seen 
before.  Amycus and his harpy sister, the Big Blond DE, at least one 
other, and a member from a peripheral support group, Greyback the 
Werewolf.  I imagine that we haven't been shown exactly how many 
primary supporters or DEs LV has, or we would have known about these 
DEs.  Though, I suspect that the number of actual DEs is much fewer 
than the people who give tacit support and don't want to stick their 
necks out quite that far.

Elyse:
> So I dont think LV would want to lose Snape just yet.
> He is after all an experienced DE, a capable one,(unlike the idiots 
> in OOTP that were defeated by a bunch of kids) and a great potion 
> maker to boot.
> So if Voldy wanted to erase the possible threat of DarkLord!Snape
> I think he would wait till he got himself a lot more supporters and 
> a lot more power. Then he would make a theatrical killing of Snape
> in front of all the DE's, complete with Evil Overlord cliched
> speech and maniacal laughter a la GoF. Either that or send him on a 
> suicide mission like Draco.

Ceridwen:
If you're right about the number of DEs, then you're probably right 
about this.  When numbers are few, headcount is more than half the 
battle.  Including for recruiting new DEs.  It's easier for the more 
timid to join a proactive group if they see a lot of members, rather 
than just a few.  And, timid members could easily be used for the 
smaller things, like cursing Muggles.  Muggles aren't accorded full 
person status in the WW, it wouldn't bruise the conscience like 
cursing a full witch or wizard for folks like that.

Elyse: 
> A hysterical possibilty, but possible all the same.
> Can you just imagine them pretending to play happy families in the 
> Muggle world? Imagine Narcissa calling Snape "Severus honey, could 
> you tell me how to use the washing machine?" when she probably 
never 
> did laundry in her entire life?
> Or Draco on a Playstation? Or..Or..endless possibilities.The 
> potential for a fanfic if anyone wants it :)

Ceridwen:
Pretty funny!  I imagine they could bring along a house elf, no one 
would notice if they kept to themselves in some suburban 
neighborhood.  I couldn't see them using magic, though, since I seem 
to recall somewhere that magic is traceable.  If the Malfoys couldn't 
wrap their brains around that, then I suppose they *couldn't* do it.

Elyse:
> But seriously, I dont think the Malfoys would live as Muggles.
> They are too proud of being pureblood wizards.I think the idea of 
> living as one of them would be totally repulsive to both of them; 
> they are Slytherins after all.
> And there is no guarantee that LV wouldnt find them there.He knows 
> his own way in the Muggle world too.

Ceridwen:
People will go to extremes if they think their lives are in danger.  
Which the Malfoys' may very well be.  They may, like the cruise ship 
ad, 'think of it as a temporary exile'.  I think they'd hate it, and 
months may be too long, not to mention years.  I do think Snape could 
pull it off.  But, I imagine he wouldn't be adverse to living off 
crickets and rats, either, if the need arose.

And, yes, LV could well be able to hunt them down in the Muggle 
world.  He knows about phone books/directories.  But, would he know 
the name of Prince?  Which is what I would imagine them living under, 
or some other familial surname with the exception of Black.  But, if 
magic is traceable, then he has a much better chance of finding 
them.  And, he is a powerful wizard (use that direction-finding 
spell?)

Elyse: 
> It would land Snape in A LOT more trouble he is in now, for 
> sure. And I think that as much as he cares for the Malfoy family,
> he would not sacrifice so much for them either IMO.
> He'd rather go back to LV as a supporter than be pursued by both 
> sides as a lunatic murderer.

Ceridwen:
I think Bellatrix may peg Snape as the murderer, but not necessarily 
the Aurors.  He may be a candidate, but they could also see it as 
punishment for Draco not fulfilling the mission, an internal 
execution amongst DEs.  I have a habit of not being quite clear when 
I get rolling with some idea.  Sorry!  And, if the Order became 
involved, that would also smooth the way for Snape to be taken back 
into the fold, given that he's DDM!Snape.  If he's OFH! or ESE! and 
not trusting of his Overlord, he would still be in the same position, 
the DEs thinking he's run amok, the Aurors thinking he *may* be 
responsible.  Just, he wouldn't get into the Order again.  Was it 
colebiancardi who said he just may want to get away from all of it?  
Maybe.  And, without Draco/Draco&Narcissa to drag around, it would be 
easier for him to melt into the night.  So, 'kill' them, and have 
*Draco* contact the Order, since Harry overheard what Dumbledore 
promised.

Elyse:
> To be honest though, I dont see this happening.
> I dont think the Order knew anything at all about Draco having to 
> kill DD. If he could not hazard talking to Malfoy about the fake 
> death plan in case
> LV legilimensed him, why would he risk talking about it to Order 
> members in case they got caught and tortured? Then not only would 
LV 
> know that the Malfoys might betray him, but the whole point of 
> faking their deaths would be useless; he would know they were still 
> alive.

Ceridwen:
This is where Harry overhearing them on the Tower comes in.  He heard 
about the plan, he heard about the threat against the Malfoys, he 
heard DD's suggestions, and he specifically remembers Draco lowering 
his wand.  He feels for Draco now, and would make more of a point in 
talking about what was said.  DD's last words, DD's last lesson, and 
so on.  If Draco contacts the Order, Harry's testimony about what 
happened on the tower would back him up.  And, the evidence of the 
second broom without a second rider, at least Snape, if not Draco, 
knows there was someone else, probably Harry under his Invisibility 
Cloak.  So there would be less reticence for Draco contacting, say, 
McGonagall.

Elyse:
> And I hope that DD would not make Snape be their killer.
> He is already wanted for DD's murder, how many people does he have 
> to "kill", with or without their consent, before he is himself 
> viewed as the crazy murderer people accused Sirius of being?
> I imagine that if this was the case, the Aurors would have been 
> allowed to shoot him on sight, no trial, nothing.
> And DD would not allow Snape's safety to be so severely compromised
> if he was really DD's man.

Ceridwen:
Yes, if it became commonly known that Snape was the renegade 
who 'killed' the Malfoys, he would be in worse shape than he is now, 
though not much worse.  Killing Dumbledore?  Heck, even LV couldn't 
do that!  But I'm not counting on the DMLE believing beyond a doubt 
that it was Snape who cast the curse.  Given Harry's recall of the 
events and what was said, which will probably be put into an evidence 
file for the investigation and search, they could just as easily come 
to the conclusion that the Malfoys were 'killed' by unspecified DEs 
on LV's command for not completing the mission properly.  Snape could 
be among those DEs, certainly.  And they wouldn't discount it.  But 
they've already made a horrible mistake regarding Sirius, and Fudge 
sounds regretful (though not remorseful) in the Other Minister 
chapter about Sirius's innocence yet subsequent incarceration.  They 
may have taken a lesson from that (though I'm dubious, they still 
seem to think they can operate outside of the law themselves, what 
with Stan's incarceration and the way they've kept him in til the end 
of the book).  Hard to tell!

However, he'll already be an Auror target because he killed DD, and 
because he's a known DE.  It probably couldn't get any worse than it 
is for him.  Maybe that's what he wanted out from?  Being a target?  
Being a target for all sides?

Ceridwen, who is having fun discussing possibilities.