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

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 157666

> >>Carol:
> > Actually, no. Canon doesn't say that Voldemort's anger at Lucius
> > leads him to give Draco the task of killing Dumbledore. What we 
> > have is Narcissa's speculation that that's the case and Snape's
> > confirmation that Voldemort is angry at Lucius.

> >>Magpie:
> > Yes, I understand where it comes from. And this kind of         
> > speculation from Narcissa, plus Snape and Dumbledore's          
> > confirmation of the fact that Voldemort is angry at Lucius is a 
> > perfectly acceptable way for JKR to give us this information    
> > while staying within the limits of the pov she uses. Just as it 
> > would have been acceptable to actually make it a question as to 
> > why he would give this task to Draco with people asking why, and 
> > the solution finally given to us. 
> > <snip>
> > And that's why Draco would need to tell Dumbledore that at the  
> > end, when he told him about figuring out the Cabinet. 

> >>Alla:
> Why? I am sorry again, but why does Draco need to tell it to 
> Dumbledore?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I can't believe I'm going to say this to you, Alla, but here goes: 
Because the hero of the story is not Draco, it's Harry.  Why would 
JKR carry over a mystery involving Draco that she'll have to deal 
with in Book 7 and take time away from the story of Harry?  Draco's 
mystery in HBP (what is he up to?) was a one book mystery because 
Draco is not the hero.  If Draco approached Voldemort with a plan 
then he'd have mentioned it to Dumbledore during the great summing 
up when we learned that Draco *did* nearly kill Katie and Ron. 

> >>Alla:
> Isn't that your opinion as a reader that this is the way 
> storyline should go? What if JKR decided that it is **not** 
> important enough to be in the book?
> After all she told us that she has backstories for the            
> characters, but after book 7 we will have all the backstory we    
> need? IMO that means that a lot of things which we may want to     
> know are not important enough and she is leaving them up to our   
> imagination? IMO of course.

Betsy Hp:
But this theory isn't a backstory.  It goes right to the heart of 
the Draco mystery.  What is he doing and why?  Canon tells us one 
thing: he's trying to kill Dumbledore on Voldemort's orders, the 
cabinets is the method he came up with.  Steven's speculation is 
completely different and, if true, requires a completely different 
summing up moment.  It needs the action in book 7 to come to a 
screeching halt while Draco explains that *he* actually sought out 
*Voldemort*.  It'd be like Quirrell suddenly showing up to say that 
Voldemort was actually in his evil twin brother's head.

> >>Alla:
> <snip>
> ...if you cannot accept  the outline of how Draco could have       
> learned about Cabinet and went to Voldemort, knowing that he      
> proclaimed revenge on Harry and could not stand Dumbledore since 
> CoS and was thrilled to be in Voldemort's service at the          
> beginning, then I am not sure I can accept with absolute certainty 
> Narcissa's speculation about Voldemort being angry at Lucius as    
> only the reason for the plan.

Betsy Hp:
Basically you're asking us to put equal weight to the "cabinet came 
first" theory (not mentioned or thought of by *any* character in 
canon) as to what we're told in the books by a character in the 
books.  So you're asking for pure speculation (readers) to match 
actual canon (Narcissa speaking as JKR directs her to). 

I mean, sure Narcissa might be wrong about Voldemort's motivation 
(though I would ask, why?), but she's *very* clear that Voldemort 
chose Draco.  No mention is made of Draco going to Voldemort, which 
is what the "cabinet came first" theory demands.

> >>Alla:
> Come to think of it, why Narcissa speculates, if Voldemort did     
> come to their house , would not she have heard everything that was 
> said? 
> Isn't that another possible hint that Draco went to Voldemort, not 
> Voldemort to Draco?

Betsy Hp:
Actually Narcissa never speculates about who approached whom.  She 
states as fact, more than once, that Voldemort chose Draco.  It's 
only this "cabinet came first" theory that has caused various 
readers to decide that Narcissa is lying, mistaken, guessing, etc.  
Narcissa herself seems pretty sure of what is going on.

Though I agree with you.  Having a character raise a question about 
Narcissa's constant statements that Voldemort chose Draco would have 
been a *perfect* way for JKR to suggest that Narcissa's view of the 
situation might be wrong.  That it doesn't happen is, IMO, yet one 
more nail in the coffin for the "cabinet came first" theory. <g>

Betsy Hp