Why did Snape take the UV? / Role of the Malfoys

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 157435

 > Eddie:
> Unless Voldemort -- er, person V, aka V-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, aka
> VHSNBN -- ordered Draco to keep it to himself, otherwise V would kill
> D.

Neri:
Could be, but I don't know any canon for this, and considerable canon
against it. Snape tells Narcissa and Bellatrix that he is in on the
mission, and it looks like he tells the truth. Draco doesn't use this
argument against Snape: "I'm not allowed to talk to you about it". He
practically admits before Snape that he's on a mission. Note how easy
it would have been for JKR to use this reason at this point to explain
why Draco excludes Snape. It could have been done in just one sentence
or two, and there wouldn't be any questioning of Draco's strange
behavior. But JKR didn't use it. Is she dropping a hint?


> Magpie:
> So if you were writing the story you would have had Draco asking his 
> mother for help and it doesn't work for you that he's not doing 
> that. That's something to take up with the author.

Neri:
Oh, I wouldn't want to write this any different. I think it's very
good writing and can be an awesome clue. When JKR shows us a character
behaving in an unreasonable and atypical way, we're supposed to ask why. 

> Magpie:
> Nobody in canon 
> questions this at all

Neri:
In Diagon Ally both Harry and Ron note that Draco looks like he gave
his mother the slip, and a short time later it turns out they were
correct, when Draco warns Borgin not to tell his mother. However,
Harry and Ron didn't see Narcissa together with Snape in Spinner's
End. We did.

> Magpie:
> (this is the first time I've heard anyone in 
> fandom question it either)

Neri:
Well then, this just goes to show you who are the fandom, which
characters they prefer not to investigate and what questions they
prefer not to ask <g>. The change in Draco's attitude towards Snape
and towards his mother in HBP is more drastic than the change in
Ginny's character in OotP, which was jarring to many fans, and has
considerably more potential as a clue for Book 7. 

> Magpie:
> Harry and his friends have been in trouble in the 
> past and not gone to their parents either.  It's a story about kids, 
> a coming of age story.  Nobody wants to need their mother.
> 

Neri:
Well, you are certainly right about Harry – he has never gone to his
parents in the past. As for Ron and Hermione, when I'll see them
hiding from their parents (or even worse – lying to their parents)
regarding information that put their parents too in great risk, I'll
be very alarmed. 

> Magpie:
> And Narcissa isn't even ever shown to 
> have anything much to offer here at all, making it even less weird 
> that Draco isn't asking her for help.
> 

Neri:
On the contrary, Narcissa has by far the best offer to help Draco. She
immediately goes and enlists an expert, somebody with power and
authority at Hogwarts, who could have given Draco great help. And she
even obtains an Unbreakable Vow from that expert to look after Draco.
By refusing help from Snape Draco is refusing help from his mother.
Help that may easily save both himself, his mother *and* his father. 

So, does Draco change his attitude towards Snape so drastically and so
irrationally just "because he's a teeeeeenager"? Is this the ultimate
explanation that's supposed to make every paradox work? I think JKR
has shown in the past a bit more insight and less contempt for
teenager psych. 

Neri