The Cabinet Plan...again (was:Re: The UV (was ESE, DDM, OFH, or Grey?)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 162784


Carol earlier:
> Funny, I thought and still think that he was excusing himself on the
> one count he can find that he's innocent of--he knew that Greyback
> was part of the plan all along (being used to force Borgin to help
> with the cabinets) but he didn't expect him to come along as part of
> Draco's DE backup--finally, one charge on which he can plead
> innocent! I don't think it has anything to do with honesty. <snip>
> 
> Magpie:
> Why on earth would Draco want to plead innocent to anything? He's
> *not* the kid on the playground you describe--or if he is, it's the
> DEs who are the headmaster here, not Dumbledore. He's been
> desperately trying to prove he's not innocent (in DD's terms) for
> the entire book. Bringing Fenrir in is a minor matter on top of all
> he's done from the pov of someone judging Draco negatively for his
> evil deeds. It's significant for Draco because he judges by the
> exact opposite values.
> 
> I see what a_svirn meant by Draco's already mentioning Greyback--
> that it's a heads-up that Draco is lying at the end, but I think
> it's there for completely other reasons. First, most practically, it
> introduces Fenrir Greyback by name for the first time and attaches
> him to these plots. More importantly, it's further illustration of
> the difference between Draco's talk and his actual feelings. He can
> brag about Fenrir when he's not there, threaten people with him and
> refer to him as a family friend, but in person he can't even look at
> him.

Carol:
As an aside here, Draco's reference isn't the first mention of
Greyback, though it's the first time his wolfish first name is given
(Fenrir is Loki's wolf son in Norse mythology, a hint that Greyback
was *born* a werewolf?). But Snape mentions Greyback, along with the
Carrows and Yaxley, IMO, the DEs who show up on the tower, (and Avery
and Malfoy, whom we already know) as DEs who pleaded the Imperius
curse to excuse themselves from crimes after VW1 (HBP Am. ed. 26). So
the alert reader recognizes the name Greyback when Draco uses it in
"Draco's Detour" to threaten Borgin with his "family friend." Even if
we don't know the significance of the name Fenrir, it's clear that
there's something especially fearsome about this particular DE, and
both Draco and Borgin know it. 
> 
Magpie:
> I tried to think of what practical reason Draco could possibly have
> for lying to Dumbledore about not bringing him in intentionally, and
> the only thing I could come up with is that maybe he thought
> Dumbledore would take back his offer if he knew about this last bit
> of evil Draco committed. But that's pretty weak given that
> Dumbledore's already shown he knows about worse things he's done,
> and can see through his lies, and anyway Dumbledore is obviously
> about to be killed so the offer is no longer realistic anyway. I
> don't think Draco's emotions are played to show a lie when he says
> the line. There's no indication of the truth as I think JKR would
> write it if there was. Most importantly, Draco telling that
> particular lie is far too huge a change in Draco's character. <snip>
> 
> I just realized I was mostly talking about why Draco wouldn't *lie* 
> in this case, which was a_svirn's theory and not yours, but since 
> Draco's lying for the same reason as he's telling the truth in your 
> version, the same arguments apply.   

Carol responds:
Thanks for realizing that I didn't say that Draco was lying, but, no,
the same arguments don't apply. I said that I think he's making
excuses, trying to get Dumbledore to see that he's innocent of
bringing Greyback onto the tower even though he's guilty of everything
else. IMO, he's beginning to see the implication of bringing in the
DEs, but at least he didn't invite the disgusting Greyback. (He only
used him to threaten Borgin.) But it's not a first sign of honesty,
which is what I meant by my misleading sentence, "I don't think it has
anything to do with honesty." (Mea culpa.) IMO, Draco has been telling
the truth as he sees it (including Snape's attempt to "steal his
glory") the whole time. But here's a chance for Dumbledore to see that
at least he's not guilty of this one transgression. This much, at
least, is not his fault.

DD says, "I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all
people, into the school where his friends live. . . ."

"'I didn't,' breathed Malfoy. He was not looking at Fenrir; he did not
seem to want to even glance at him. 'I didn't know he was going to
come--'" (593).

Draco is starting to realize the implications of his actions. He's
already realized that he can't kill Dumbledore. But for the moment,
all he can do is say, in essence, I didn't invite *him.*" But he did
invite the other DEs or know they were coming. He did fix the cabinet
to allow them to come in and celebrate fixing it. He did disarm
Dumbledore and intend, so he thought, to kill him, if only because he
and his family would be killed if he didn't. Draco is in shock and
still irresolute at this point, but he does plead innocent on this one
count, as if he wants DD to know that this much, at least, is not his
fault. The DEs, of course, don't understand the implications or care
about Draco's feelings. They just want to get on with the killing of
Dumbledore, preferably by Draco, but they're ready to do it themselves
if he fails.

Carol, who thinks that Draco is still teetering on the brink and could
fall into either camp at this point and hopes that Snape's rescuing
him twice will have some bearing on his choice