What Came First: Task or Cabinet? - The Plan v1 & v2

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 157659

Magpie:
> > > You mean we might not get a different explanation besides that 
whole "he wants Draco to die to punish Lucius" idea Narcissa 
> brings up in Spinner's End. It's not really presented as a mystery. 
> > >
> > Carol responds:
> > It isn't? Half the book is about Harry trying to find out what 
> Draco is up to.
> 
> Magpie:
> No, it isn't.  What Draco is up to is a different subject.  What 
> Draco is up to is a mystery given a solution at the end.  That he's 
> doing something for Voldemort and why is given in Spinner's End.  
> 
Carol again:
We're talking in circles here. We don't really get an explanation in
"Spinner's End." In fact, that whole chapter is a mystery. The only
thing we do know, after having read the book, is that Snape didn't
know about the Vanishing Cabinets. So, obviously, he couldn't have
discussed them.

So, yes, I do think that we could get a fuller explanation which
includes Voldemort's vengeance against Lucius as *one component* of
Draco's assignment. But we're still at a standstill determining which
came first, Draco telling LV about the vanishing cabinets or LV
assigning Draco to kill Dumbledore.

What Draco is up to is *not* a different subject. He spends the entire
school year trying to fix the Vanishing Cabinets. It *is* a mystery,
and JKR makes sure that neither the reader nor Harry nor Snape knows
it. I really am at a loss how to make it any clearer, so I'm going to
stop trying without being in the least persuaded that you've proven
your case.

> Carol:
>  Narcissa and Snape don't know, either, which is why the
> > Vanishing Cabinet plan doesn't come into "Spinner's End" or any of 
> the chapters involving Draco and Snape. 
> 
> Magpie:
> They know (some think Snape is bluffing) that he's trying to kill 
> Dumbledore.  Snape makes a vow to do it for him if it looks like he 
> will fail.  They don't know about the Cabinets.  The Cabinet Plot 
> that Draco starts with Borgin and that he's working on in the RoR 
> all year is a mystery during the book that is solved at the end.

Carol again:
Exactly. Snape doesn't know about the Cabinets and what he's doing is
a mystery. (You just contradicted yourself here and agreed with me.)
The only point I disagree with here is your *assumption* that the
Cabinet plot starts with Borgin. That's the first that Harry or the
reader knows of it--and, of course, Harry (and the first-time reader)
has no clue what's going on.

Carol, completely confused by your self-contradictory post