Of essence divided?

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 154405

Annemehr:

> I don't believe that what you are saying actually does 
> follow from Peggy's assumption.  The orders, if they were 
> actually given, need not apply to this particular mission 
> alone, but can be something very general that LV told all 
> his DEs at some earlier time: "Whatever happens, no one is 
> to harm Potter; he's mine."

houyhnhnm:

But there is no evidence that he did so.  
This an appeal to ignorance.

Annemehr:
 
> In fact, there is actually some corroborating evidence, 
> in GoF, at the end of ch. 34: "Stand aside! I will kill him! 
> He is mine!" shrieked Voldemort, as Harry ran for the Portkey.

houyhnhnm:

Voldemort did claim Harry in the graveyard when he 
already had Harry in front of him, but that is not 
the same thing as saying that the DEs are to leave 
him for LV under all circumstances.

After Harry came back, Barty Crouch, Jr. said, "Imagine 
how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for 
him.  I gave you to him--the thing he needed above all 
to regenerate--and then I killed you for him.  I will
 be honored above all other Death Eaters." (GoF35)

During the confrontation in the Department of Mysteries, 
Lucius Malfoy told the DEs, "Be gentle with Potter until 
we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary...."

"Until we've got the prophecy" sounds like it's okay 
to do whatever they want with Potter after they've 
retrieved the prophecy.  Surely Lucius would have told 
them specifically not to kill Harry, if those were 
Voldemort's orders.

Finally, there is no mention of any such order in the 
conversation at Spinner's End.  Since the issue of Harry's 
life does come up in that conversation, it would be the 
logical place for the author to insert some corroborating 
evidence for Snape's command to the Death Eaters on the lawn.  
There isn't any.

In short there is no evidence to back up Snape's claim 
that Harry is to be left for the Dark Lord.  On the other 
hand, it is odd that Snape used that claim to stop the DE's 
from performing cruciatus on Harry.  No one had tried to 
use the Avadra.  Why would Voldemort care if Harry got 
tortured a little?  Fenrir had already tried to take a 
nibble.  And why not kidnap Harry and take to Voldemort 
if he belongs to the Dark Lord rather than leaving him 
behind to continue being a threat?