[HPforGrownups] Re: Why did Snape take the UV? / Role of the Malfoys

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 157394

Neri:

******************************************************
HBP, Ch. 6, p. 126:

"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"
******************************************************

This doesn't sound to me like Draco trying to protect his mother. It
sounds like Draco trying to protect himself from her.

Magpie:
It sounds like a 16-year-old boy knowingly getting involved in something 
Mother doesn't want him involved in.  We've seen Narcissa showing how upset 
she is about Draco being involved in this.  We hear that Draco himself is 
eager to prove himself as a DE. "Not a word to anyone including my mother" 
follows logically from that alone.  The protecting of Narcissa becomes 
important when Voldemort threatens her.  "He'll kill my whole family."

Neri:
Snape tells him that he promised his mother to look after him, and he lies 
to Snape. He doesn't just hide information from Snape - he actively lies to 
him, claiming he had nothing to do with the Katie
nearly dying. Which means he probably lies about this to his mother too, 
because he knows that if he'll tell her the truth, she'll tell Snape.

Magpie:
A 16-year-old lying to his mother is not out of the ordinary.  The reasons 
for his lying in this case are especially understandable given that he's 
taken a job as a secret assassin.  He is trying to do the job alone. 
Narcissa wants him to go to Snape. Draco does not want to go to Snape.

Something as huge as an assassination assignment for a terrorist 
organization and a madman is going to explain a lot of motivation throughout 
the book.  There's nothing about him being upset that his teacher is going 
to start dating his mom. What exactly is Draco supposed to have experienced 
(completely outside of what's written in the book and with no direct 
references to it) that's driving him here?

-m