[HPforGrownups] The Cabinet Plan...again/Wrongheaded compassion

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 162770

Snow:

If Draco and the Slytherin guys that heard Montague's tale of the cabinets, 
thinking it fascinating, were quiet about this news, I'll eat my hat.

Slytherin's are braggarts and the biggest of all being Draco who announced 
to Dumbledore on the Tower that `he' was the `only' one who connected the 
dots as to what this could mean. (Then again, Draco is
only surveying the situation as to his fellow classmates inept understanding 
I'm sure)

These guys are in Snape's House and yet Snape did not get wind of the story 
that was being told or maybe Snape did not connect the dots as well as young 
Draco? It doesn't seem reasonable that Snape, being an exceptional 
Slytherin, would not have realized the potential hazard that could occur 
with those cabinets especially since Snape was the
one who saved Montague and would have heard the Whole story long before it 
fell on Draco's ears (legilimence is a wonderful tool).

Magpie:
But this is taking information the author found a place to give us directly 
and tossing it out and rewriting stuff not there. I don't think there's any 
reason whatsoever that Snape has to have heard this story, or figured out 
the Cabinets, or any of it. It's not like McGonagall knows of everything 
somebody comes up with in Gryffindor just because she's the HoH--and what do 
the Slytherins have to be bragging about anyway with Montague's story?  And 
Why don't Hermione and Harry get wind of it if they're bragging?

I think it happened just the way Draco said it did. Not just because of 
those things, and because I think part of the thematic resonance comes from 
the fact that the "secret plan" was directly linked to being a kid, but 
because that's the information we're given. I see no more reason to second 
guess it than I see reason to second guess Sirius' explanations for how he 
escaped Azkaban.

Snow:
Dumbledore was confronted by Harry of Draco's newfound likeness to the ROR 
and Draco's woops of joy from inside the room and yet Dumbledore's response 
was anything but stunned. Dumbledore instead was more like Willy Wonka.lets 
push forward, so much time and so little to do.reverse that.
Dumbledore knew and Snape knew what the various possibilities 
were.strategies were formed for each case scenario, concerning the cabinets, 
to be enacted as previously agreed upon. That could be why
Snape argued with Dumbledore that he was taking too much for granted. I 
don't think Snape had the assurance that Dumbledore felt over Draco's final 
decision.

Magpie:
I don't think Snape or Dumbledore knew a thing about the Cabinets. If they 
knew about them I think they'd get rid of the one at Hogwarts and destroy 
the plan. Dumbledore figures out that Vanishing Cabinets created a portal 
right in front of us when he says, "There are a pair of them, I take it?" He 
and Snape were taking general precations against anything and anyone 
unwanted getting into the school. Dumbledore is confident that the school is 
secure, so doesn't take Harry's warnings seriously--especially since Harry's 
emotional about Snape.

Snow:
I don't see any flaws with this possibility but then again I am viewing this 
from Dumbledore-has-a-plan, which he does admit to in OOP. Dumbledore has 
more pieces of the puzzle than we have to work
with and he only allows certain persons knowledge; Dumbledore and Voldemort 
have something in common after all, no `one' person knows everything about 
them.

Magpie:
I think the flaws in it are just the things that don't build on the 
information we're given in the text that indicates Snape and Dumbledore 
didn't know about the Cabinets.

I do think it's perfectly possible that Snape's "taking too much for 
granted" line could refer to letting Draco keep working on his plan, though.

BonniDune:
> My point here is that according to canon, Harry logically assumed
> that PP would have been imprisoned for life, not D-Kissed. So,
> although I think his concern for Sirius and Lupin not becoming
> murderers was the motivation, I also think it's significant that he
> knew he was also saving PP's life

Magpie:
My bad--you're right. Harry is showing sparing Peter's life. Though he's 
still not imo doing anything foolish in having Peter put into Azkaban.

-m