Cabinet FIRST!

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 157968

Orna wrote:
<snip> 
> I can easily imagine Draco boasting to Voldemort – eager to rent his 
> services for him to show loyalty after Lucius was disgraced. He 
> would think the service is just helping Des enter Hogwarts. 
> Voldemort would twist it devilishly towards this kill-Dumbledore 
> mission. So it's cabinet-first turning into suicide mission. 
> 
> I can also imagine quite easily Voldemort luring Draco into this 
> mission, this tricky way or the other - cabinet being just one means 
> to the end.  I must confess I can't see Voldemort just reaching 
> openly out for Draco – he would somehow make it seem to Draco – that 
> it's his volunteering. That's because I think that`s how Voldemort 
> acts – if he doesn't imperius the person – he acts on some act of 
> initial volunteering. 
> 
> I don't think it's very important for JKR to mention it, if Draco 
> approached Voldemort. If Voldemort approached Draco – it would need 
> mentioning, and I agree that it alters the story. As it is, the 
> story is told so that nobody has difficulty in believing that Malfoy 
> wants to join the Des. Hermione doubts whether Voldemort would use a 
> teenager – but not that Draco would like to join. Dumbledore doesn't 
> ask – how the hell did you come to get such a task. It seems quite 
> assumed that Draco joined voluntarily, proudly, and during the 
> process discovers slowly "the bitter pill" - he is not built to be a 
> killer, or a DE. Had he been approached by Voldemort, and just 
> agreed (even happily) his lesson or potential transformation 
> wouldn't be so bitter, or even important And I think that Dumbledore 
> would check this point out – as he did with Fenrir being invited. 
> The starting point is IMO - you think you are a killer, you began to 
> follow this path - slowly you have to admit that you were wrong 
> about yourself. It's taking responsibilities on your choices, which 
> would be weakened if his choice would be being tempted or threatened 
> by Voldemort to join. Dumbledore doesn't tell him when he wants to 
> show him he is not a killer "You didn't even ask for this job".
> 
> But it might be mentioned in book 7 – perhaps in connection with 
> Regulus. Somehow Draco's joining Des and learning that it's 
> different (and that he is different) from what he imagined – reminds 
> me of what Sirius said about Regulus. So if Regulus is RAB, and his 
> story is told – Draco might be there also in a way.

Carol responds:
Exactly. If Draco volunteered his services, his story parallels those
of Regulus and Young!Snape and brings the theme of "Slytherin kid
joins the DEs and finds it's not what he thought it was" into the new
generation. If Voldemort went after him (and when have we seen that
happen?), there's no parallel. I'm not saying that's what happened,
but parallel stories and variations on a theme are the way JKR often
works. His enlightenment is also much more dramatic and the revelation
that he's not a killer much more significant if he volunteered to be a
DE (complete with the cabinet idea) rather than if he was always
intended to be a sacrificial pawn. I think that Harry will get a
similar awakening or epiphany when he confronts Severus Snape in Book 7.

Carol, who supposes she'd better stop saying that she's giving up on a
particular thread as she can't keep her own resolve