Cheating

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 146441

> Ceridwen:
> <snip>
> > What a horrible thing for Voldemort to do to Dumbledore! 
> > Apparently, the plan is for Draco to fail, per both Snape
> > and Narcissa in 'Spinner's End', and to die in the attempt. 
> > A punishment on Lucius.  Which means that LV apparently
> > envisions Draco pulling his wand on Dumbledore, and Dumbledore
> > having to defend himself by *killing a student*.
> <snip>

> maria8162001 here:
> I don't think LV believed that for a second, that Dumbledore 
> is going to kill Draco even in self defense. He knows that 
> Dumbledore will not kill anyone even in self defense unless it's 
> really neccessary. No, the main purpose of LV for giving the task
> to Draco to kill Dumbledore, is really to punish Lucius as you
> have said. <snip>LV knows Draco is going to fail and be killed,
> but,not because he will be killed by Dumbledore or any from the
> Order, but by LV himself or by the Death Eaters. 

Jen: Voldemort's power is his ability to maneuver people into 
situations where their hands are tied by their instincts for good 
actions (or evil actions for a person like Pettigrew). Like in the 
case of Draco, Voldemort wasn't expecting Draco could put up enough 
of a fight for Dumbledore to actually have to kill him, but he was 
manipulating Dumbledore into an impossible situation by using one of 
his students inside Hogwarts. Like Ceridwen said, the long-term goal 
was Dumbledore, a goal of Voldemort's probably dating back to the 
time he first placed Snape at Hogwarts.

Voldemort knows Dumbledore will act as 'fools who love act.' He 
wouldn't ever harm Draco, and more than that, he wants Draco to make 
the right choice. He can't have a heart-to-heart with Draco and put 
him in danger. He doesn't want to kick him out of the school and 
turn him completely to Voldemort's side . Dumbledore knows allowing 
Draco to stay at Hogwarts is safeguarding him to a certain extent 
and buys some time, although the down side is he might harm someone 
else in the process. What's he to do?  That's the way Voldemort 
operates, that's how he ties the hands of good people. 

maria8162001:
> If Draco fails, LV would have the reason to kill both Draco and 
> Narcissa. But LV didn't count on Narcissa asking Snape's help.

Jen: You don't think? I thought that visual of the flames wrapping 
around Snape's wrists was pretty much vintage Voldemort. I think 
Voldemort was well aware of what Narcissa was up to and figured he 
would kill two birds with one stone--Dumbledore, and Snape's 
humanity, which he regained through Dumbledore's trust. "The Dark 
Lord always knows!" said Bella in OOTP. I don't think Snape's superb 
Occlumency was enough to completely fool the greatest Legilimens and 
dark wizard of the century, even if LV didn't get the entire 
picture. But Snape was useful to him, placed at Hogwarts, and he 
used him for his own ends.

Jen