I just can't get the though out of my head that Draco was up to something more than just to kill Dumbledore... Maybe his real mission was to lure Snape into proving an alliance, whether it be to the Order or to Voldy... Draco worked hard all year on his "plan" and then when the time comes for him to kill DD, he doesn't... we all assume that he just doesn't have it in him to kill another person... maybe we're wrong. I mean, if he was supposed to kill Harry, do you think he'd give it a second thought? I think not.


** Edit ** All I'm saying is there has to be more to it... also, why would Draco reveal his "master plan" to DD if he could have just killed him and completed his mission? I mean, we know he's a show-off at times, but why not just carry out the Dark Lord's deeds ASAP... ?
--Shannon

I think Draco's real mission, as he knew it, was to kill DD.

From Voldemort's point of view, it was for Draco to be killed while trying to kill DD (in order to punish Lucius for failing Voldemort). Remember, no one expected for him to be able to go through with it. LV probably thought he'd get so far as to pull his wand on DD, and then be struck down. (Of course DD would never kill Draco, but LV wouldn't be able to comprehend that.)

I don't think he was meant to succeed, however, if he did, it would be a plus. Also, if he could succeed in getting Death Eaters into Hogwart's, all the better.

I think the Snape thing, figuring out whose side he's on, came as a by product of Narcissa's fear for her son. I don't think it was planned. It would have been different if she and Bellatrix hadn't been arguing before they got to Snape's house, but there was no reason to extend an act to the outside if they were only doing it to test his loyalties.

I still think Draco was up to something other than just murdering DD... Why bring all the death eaters? I mean, all he would need is to have a couple minutes of 'alone time' with DD to use Avada Kedarva to kill him off... It just doesn't make sense....

I believe Malfoy to be one of those people to be all talk. We all know that Malfoy would never have killed Dumbledore. Malfoy is afraid to go in the Forbidden Forest. So, I think that Malfoy's mission was to kill Dumbledore, but as Voldemort hoped that Malfoy would die trying. This is what puzzles me because you would think that Voldemort would know that Dumbledore or any of the Order members would never kill a sixteen year old.

I dont know but in the beggining in dyagon alley when malfoy is sneaking around and harry follows him we learn that what he wanted fixed was the cabnet

so from before they went to hogwarts He had his mission and i think it was to get the DE into the school by the way was the cabnet distroyed

any way he needed to get the DE into the school because i think LV wanted something from the school Like lets say the griffindor sword and how better to get in DD office than to kill him first or get him out of the way we know that draco tried killing him many times before he got the cabnet fixed so he wanted DD out of the way first before he finished the cabnet

also snape had nothing to prove as
did he not curse one of the DE at the end for trying to kill DD but none of them did anything as they were scared of him or said nothing that he did not help them when he ran stright past them

That's very interesting... the whole bit about getting the DE's in the school to acquire a certain item... very clever indeed!

I think LV's plan was, that somebody (Snape or other DE) kills DD. He gave the mission to Draco, but i think he knew that he wont be able to fulfill it. He wanted revange on Lucius.
I wonder, if Draco had tried to kill DD his Adeva Kedavra would have worked. He hates Harry perhaps enough to be able to use Crucio on him, but the killing course....i doubt it. He had nothing against DD. He loathed Harry, but he was trying to kill DD on Voldemort's orders.

I my opinion, if Lucius hadnt been in prison, it would have been Snape's mission to kill DD.

If Draco's mission had been to (only) kill Dumbledore, why would he have been so concerned about getting Death Eaters into Hogwarts via the Cabinet found in the Room of Requirements? His character being quite the show off, why would he have wanted to share his glory? He certainly did not seem too keen on having Snape horn in on his big chance to impress the Dark Lord...

Then again, during his conversation with Dumbledore on the tower, he does admit that he has been trying to kill Dumbledore, in his own clumsy way (locket, fire whiskey). Perhaps his mission was to do both, kill Dumbledore (or die trying) and get Death Eaters into Hogwarts, for some unknown reason. Snape's ultimate role in killing Dumbledore would have saved both Draco (by fulfilling his mission to kill Dumbledore) and Snape, by allowing him to finish off his commitment as laid out in his Unbreakable Vow. I'm of the opinion that more than Draco's hide was saved by Dumbledore's death at the hands of Severus Snape; he was also kept from killing in the name of Voldemort, which may have led to him being a full-fledged Death Eater...

But I digress.

Malfoy's real mission was, most likely, to kill Dumbledore. Both have given us indications to that effect in their conversation with each other. Furthermore, the Dark Lord may have asked that Malfoy come up with a way to get Death Eaters into Hogwarts, because he thought there was no way Draco could succeed on his own (Draco's death would have been punishment for Lucius Malfoy's failure at the Ministry of Magic). So the two would have been part of Voldemort's plan all along.

So, in short, Draco did indeed fulfill his mission to kill Dumbledore...

Let's now switch to another thread and talk about whether Dumbledore is indeed dead or not...

Cheers!

Yes malfoy was doing this because of his fathers mistakes but draco wanted the cabnet fixed from before he wanted to get to school so he planned having the DE there from the beggining

Yes i thing apart of his plan was to kill DD but i think it was just to get him out of the way before he got the DE there why else would he have tries with the lockest and the mead

why did he just put all his time into fixing the cabnet than insted of made DD aware that someone was out to kill him

I think there is a treasure of LV or something he wants i say the sword because it is something he wanted for a very long time for over 20 years probably but maybe there is something else maybe he hid another horcrux there he did kill moning martel and could of made one

Just something that I picked up on today.

It is never actually said in the book what Draco's mission actually WAS. Because of the situation with Draco bursting in and Snape killing Dumbledore, it is assumed- and I tend to agree- that it is probably 'Your mission is to kill Dumbledore'.

However Narcissa's biggest fear is that Draco will die trying. Now, What I'm failing to understand is why she- and Snape if he's playing along- would believe that Dumbledore would kill Draco for trying to kill him. Similarly, Snape says that he'll try and help him. Now if it's refering to killing Dd, wouldn't it be better to say that he can teach him what he needs to know- IE, how to do the Avada Kedavra curse or about poisons etc- or do it for him or whatever else? But I don't really see how he can HELP Draco kill Dumbledore.

Snape makes the comment that if Draco succeeds then he'd be able to stay at the school longer (pg39), however it otherwise seems to suggest that with Dd dead, the school will close. So why would Snape think that if Draco does it and not him that the school would remain open longer?

And even when he's talking to Draco, he comments that he swore to his mother to 'protect him'. He says that he cannot afford mistakes because if he is expelled... (and is cut off). However if Draco is caught and expelled, he's still completed his mission anyway and who is he to care if he's no longer at school? (Of course, since he'd have killed a person he'd probably end up in Azkaban anyway).

But protect him from what? What exactly is Snape protecting Draco from if Draco is sending poisons to people or cursed necklaces? Getting caught? Dumbledore's rath?

Dumbledore makes the comment that he's known that Draco has been trying to kill him all year. But if that's his only mission, and he's been given the dubious 'honour' of killing the headmaster, then why bother bringing all of the death eaters into Hogwarts?

BUT....

What if the task were for something else? Maybe there are completely different reasons for Snape killing Dumbledore, Draco attempting to kill him, Draco bringing in the vanishing cabinets to transport Death Eaters etc. Something much more riskier in which he needed the support. Something in which his mother feels that he would be risking his own life for and in turn request that Snape protect him.

I have no idea what this could be- initially I thought that the vow was going to be to TRY and kill someone- maybe Harry, possibly Dumbledore, however if the key phrase is 'try' then it doesn't actually matter if he succeeded or not. Maybe it was to infultrate Hogwarts. But given that Peter Pettigrew knows a few secrets places- not that these seemed to be used- and that Draco has the use of the Vanishing cabinets, this became possible. Maybe it was to start the war- this is becoming a more likely reason for Narcissa to expect for Draco to be killed.

Narcissa obviously expected that if Snape were to take over and complete the task, Draco would remain safe and be able to continue his schooling, or general life. Either because Hogwarts had been taken over successfully by Death Eaters, or because his task had been completed without anyone know who was involved and he could continue infultrating Hogwarts from within. However as he left with Snape, that's pretty much down the drain in my opinion.

I'm tending to think that it WAS to kill Dumbledore, however for the Dark Lord to give this opportunity to a 16 year-old kid, who it is indicated is expected to fail, however whose mother's seems to think will result in his death, is kinda seeming unlikely to me.

All just a thought....

i rather think that Draco's mission was to kill DD, because he was making attempts to it all year and Snape's protection= protection in order he wasn't killed by Voldemort when he fails to do it.

Those are some great ideas everyone! I agree with zainsa the most... maybe the DE's were after the sword... or the sorting hat... Wouldn't that be something: if Hogwarts is open next year and they are preparing for the feast and they discover the sorting hat is gone?

Maybe the DEs somehow knew that Harry and DD were going to get the Horcrux from the cave, and they came to try to kill DD and Harry because they thought they had the real Horcrux and were going to destroy it.

I doubt that the DE's know about the horcruxes... or that DD & Harry are after them.. Also, like Snape said, Harry is for Voldy to kill, not the DE's... so if it was about the horcruxes then Voldy would have shown up at Hogwarts too... Also, I think that Draco is a more persuasive than we give him credit for...

--shannon

I think this may all come down to the one thing DD has constantly reminding Voldy that he underestimates...Love.

Voldemort just sends people out to do his bidding not caring who he hurts and how he hurts them in the process. Narcissa obviously cares for her son and doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. In other words, she loves him. Draco, though he puts on an "I'm so evil and everyone should fear me" front, obvsiouly has a bit of a soft spot for DD. If not, he would have killed him straight away. So, you could say that, to a lesser degree, he loves DD.

The significance of this is that I believe, when the DE's and there families begin to see how little Voldy cares for them and how he is willing to have them risk everything so he can reap the bennifits, they will slowly, but surely begin to walk, and this will be his downfall. Without as many followers his resolve will become weaker and weaker. The seeds of this are already apparent in the obvious un-happiness Narcissa and Draco feel towards the situation they have been so un-needingly placed in.

So, in other words, Voldemorts lack of care for those 'closest' to him, who are making it possible for him to have the power he does, will be a major factor in his downfall, I belive.

Not the only factor (as im sure harry will still have to somehow defeat him) but a major factor, none the less.

just my opinion

i defintly think draco's orders were to kill dumbledore, because that is what he was trying to do all year, the necklace, the poisened wine... and in the end snape had to do it b/c malfoy was too weak

we all kno that voldy has a big ego, at least it seems like it, so if everyone knows that the only person he was ever afraid of was dumbledore, wouldnt he want to kill him himself? doesnt he get pleasure from it or soemthin? plus, he must've known that DD is gettin weaker, just wait a little more and he could do whatever he wanted to DD.

Now, somebody mentioned that Dracos mission was just to get the sword from Hogwarts. I agree with that , maybe it was so in the beginning, but meybe Voldemort feeling very creative one day decided one day that since Draco is already making an almost impossible-to-do mission (bringin the DEs in when the school is protected more than ever) why not add him just one more little thing to do. No biggie for a true DE of course...yeh kill DD, why? no clue, how i asid above i think it would just counter act hs ego, mybe he's too busy plannin another way how to get Harry to a cemetary...who knows?

yeh, hopefully what i wrote is understandable...sleeep...

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Bah, Draco should have killed him when he could have. Obviously Voldmort doesn't care about him; he didn't think he'd succeed. But there was no way Dumblebore could have done anything, and he was surrounded by Draco and Death Eaters, but he still couldn't do anything, so why did Snape interfer? Draco was in no danger, and Harry wasn't magically pinned to the wall for that long, he could have done something. And didn't Harry say that wizards like Dumbledore could do magic without wands? Perhaps it's all part of a bigger plot, involving Snape and why he did it.

Mmmm, actualy there not realy need to think much about the "real" mission of Draco, first in general a mission is one single task/objective. So it's highly improbable that he had to open the door + find object + kill DD + get Snape to comit himself! Draco is arogan but not that much.

The mission was simply to kill DD, he tried twice before been able to use the cabinet. Katie and Ron where those victim.

You can find this in p.547, Bloomsbury edition (adult), capter 27, "The lighting-Struck Tower"

I think the Vanishing Cabinet was Dracos first attempt at killing DD, he wanted to use the Vanishing Cabinet as a portal and unleash the DE's into Hogwarts to help him.

The thing we have to ask ourselves is why did Draco spend the whole year trying to fix the Vanishing Cabinet if he were going to try and poison DD or give him a cursed necklace anyway?

My answer is that the Vanishing Cabinet was Draco's first plan. When he was assigned the task by Voldy we know that his mother and father's, and indeed his own life, were all under threat at the time he was given his orders.

His first plan was the Vanishing Cabinet. He was not arrogant enough to assume he would be able to dispose of DD alone and he devised a plan incorperating transporting numerous DE's into Hogwarts to assist him in getting to DD. Makes sense when you consider how old Draco is and the fact that he was contemplating taking on one of the most accomplished wizards of all time.

Because it was taking so long to mend the cabinet in the room of requirement (we even heard him say his task was taking longer than he though it would), in desperation he resorted to other methods of trying to kill DD, driven by his love for his parents (and to a lesser degree, himself). He was afraid Voldy would lose patience in his methods and go after his family before he could fully restore the cabinet and carry out his plan.

So it seems to me it was always Dracos mission to get DE's into the castle via the Vanishing Cabinet to assist him in disposing of DD, but because it took so long to mend, in desperation he resoted to other methods of trying to get to DD. I think this is one of the reasons we 'overheard' the conversation between Draco and Snape about Dracos other unplanned attempts to kill DD. We needed to understand that he was afraid enough to try very volatile attempts at DD's life to save his own family.

I, personally, don't believe that dumbledore is dead nor do I believe that snape is a bad man. (just my opinion)

1. Dumbledore dead or alive?
The reasons I have for dumbledore to be alive are that in the chapter called the white tomb, never ever do we really read about how dumbledore's body looked like dead. All we really hear is how hagrid carried dumbledore's body covered with a "blanket." For all we know it could be anyone under there. (that's not my only reason.) Also when serverus snape yells those horrible words "avada kedavra" why does j.k. rowling write" dumbledore was blasted into the air?" In all the other books it says that when ever someone was killed all you read was that a blinding flash of green light came and a rushing sound. why would "dumbledore's death be any different and say that his body was blasted into the air?

2. Snape innocent?
I believe snape is innocent because I believe that he was still faithful to dumbledore. 1. During snape's encounter with narcissus and bellatrix i believe snape lied to them. How? When bella agrees with snape about narcissus keeping her mouth shut about the dark lord's plan, snape says he actually knows the plan, but that's where the little white lie comes in. I think snape never knew about the plan because he leeps form his chair, goes over to the windows and shuts the curtains with a jerk and then and only then does he tell them that he knows about the plan. If voldemort had actually not told the plan to snape how would snape know about the plan after saying that narcissus should keep her mouth shut and not tell anyone if the dark lord's word is the law? Snape probably found out about the plan after having walked over to the window. Right there he could have performed Legilimens on narcissus and her top-most thought at the moment could have been draco's assignment. That's probably the way snape found out about the plan.

3.dead or alive
One of the reason's why i beleive that snape is innocent is because during the chapter that snape kills dumbledore, he says, "severus...please..." Now i don't know about u but it did not seem like dumbledore was saying "kill me i don't care anymore" but rather "snape kill me as you promised you would do." Remevber in the 1st book when dumbledore tell harry in the hospital wing "Death is but the next great adventure." Now tell me does that sound like the kind of person who begs for their life?

If u still don't fully believe me i suggest u check out a website I can give you if you PM me, and i assure you, you will be convinced. This site is full of facts and evidence supported from all 6 books. All the facts are there so i suggest you go and check out the site even if it sound cheeky.

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Maybe you're right on what you say about Snape not killing DD, but remember that Snape did the unbreakable vow with Narcissa, saying that he would help Draco if he couldn't finish his task.

Draco lowered his wand as Harry says afterwards, so if Snape didn't kill DD, he would die. I don't think that the vow could be fooled, so DD must be dead.

We can't be sure that Snape really is faithfull to DD. We're taking about three really good wizards here: Lord Voldemort (most feared wizard of all times), Albus Dumbledore (one of best wizard of all times; most powerful according to Harry), and Severus Snape; all of these wizards are really good at Legilimens and Oclumency. Snape as we well know was able to pass information to DD about the DE's, but he also passed info to Voldy about the OOtP so that he could be trusted again, so how can we be sure who is Snape really betraying?

How would Snape promised DD he would kill him? The curse hit him in the chest and no one can block or do anything to stop it, and the only known person to have made that possible is Harry, but it was because Lily died for him, but no one died to save DD so how could he survive THE killing curse?

Ok just before i say anything this post is not for DD death there is a thread for that already opened called the death

and one more thing harry blocked the curse twise once at birth and at the grave yard when we found out that the two wands will not work against each other

Ok well i know i posted earlier that draco was after something else but im re-reading the book and im convinced that he was ordered to kill DD

In spinners end narcissar say to snape "he has been asked to do something no one else can do no not even the dark lord "

so well that about summons it up for us

I believe that the whole Draco's Task, was merely entertainment for Voldemort. Draco - and his family - do not matter to V at all, and because of Lucius's failure to acquire the prohecy in the DOM, V wanted some sort of revenge.

I think his main aim of this task, was to test everyone's limits. He wanted to test Draco's loyalty. V knows gave him the chance to prove himself. The first part of his task, was to smuggle the Death Eater into Hogwarts Grounds somehow. And then if that went accordingly, then to attack Dumbledore.

Voldemort also tested Dumbledore's boundaries. Knowing well that DD wold not kill a student, V wanted to see how far Malfoy could get before DD intervened. And then when he did, what would be the punishment???

I do not believe that there was an alterier motive behind Draco's task. If V wanted/needed something from the school, such as the sword or whatever, there would have been far more easier ways to achieve that. And V would have not waited all year for it. I think Draco's task served as a distraction to Harry throughtout his sixth year. It also provided a base for the ending.

So if Voldemort wanted Dumbledore alive will he be mad at Snape for killing him? I mean, if V didn't inform Snape about his plan as mensioned before, he will find out that he did the unbreakable vow with Narcissa, and she wasn't supposed to do anything or tell anyone about the plan.
What will V say? He'll obviously be glad DD is dead, because everyone knows he's the only wizard he has ever been afraid of, but was that what he really wanted?
Draco failed his mission. He lowered his wand. Will there be punishment for him also?

No no no draco was given a mission and i quote something the dark lord cannot do which was kill DD but he gave this plan to draco knowing that DD will die rather than kill one of his students yes he porbably intended draco to fail but gave him a chance to save his family and try he knew if he failed he would kill him but probably would have planned all this we know that his one true supporter and student beltrix was there at the vow and she would of blabbed everything so LV knew all the time that snape was going to do it for him so he got what he wanted to test snape and get DD killed

SO know draco will not be killed but praised for helping LV with his plan

I am worried, worried, worried that killing Dumbledore was not Dracos assignment.

Okay, there are a lot of things pointing towards that, I admit. Draco crying his eyes out with Myrtle, for example. Then the way he treatened Dumbles...

It's weird, but I rather think it is something completely different and Snape and Dumbles only guessed Draco was to kill the headmaster. Remember, Dumbledore says if he ever goes wrong he makes huge mistakes.

So how about Draco was actually up to killing Slughorn? Slughorn got the wine and he is used to getting presents, so he would have taken the neclace, too.

Or Draco was to let the DE in (I believe this is definitely a thing Voldemort couldn't do himself) to steal some item, so Voldemort could switch the horcrux from Nagini to... say Gryffindors' sword. I still don't believe you need no extra qualification to kill a wizard like Dumbledore. Malfoy said he didn't need qualification to fullfil his assignment... he went through with letting the DE in - who knows what they were up to? They were caught by the Order when they were about to go... where? And Dumbles was gone by the time, surely Draco wouldn't be able to kill a person that is absent?
Malfoy only decided to act the hero later and tried to kill Dumbles when he was back. It was all about glory, right?

I'm afraid Snape didn't know the real plan and he only read Narcissas mind while he was turning to the curtains. Severus can read other peoples' mind without looking at their eyes. There were sooo many times Harry said he felt as though Snape knew what he was thinking... and never did they have eye-contact.
Maybe he just cought a glimse of a thought and figured the rest - but did it wrong?
When Dumbles was killed Snape runs with Draco and yells "It's over!" - the Death Eaters leave at once. No applause, no big party, no nothing. Hey, the worst enemy was just destroyed! Why don't you guys celebrate? You were winning the fight against the Order anyway. So why turn and leave?

If the plan really was to retrieve some item or killing somebody else, Snape still didn't fullfil his vow. Now, that's a twist. He'd have to come back to Hogwarts and try again... Cool.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Flutterflie

Draco had to bring the death-eaters along because the members of the order were guardig the castle...he had to get the attention off himself so i don't think there was something more he was up to.

That's really lovely that now the book must pay more attention to Draco

I still don't see why Draco brought in the DE's... he also said to Dumbledore that he didn't know that Fenrir (the werewolf) was going to be there... it seems Draco felt bad about Fenrir being in Hogwarts... Also, I got to thinking about Draco's conversation with Snape and how Draco didn't want him to steal his glory.. so why bring in DE's that were perfectly capable of doing just that?? Does this make any sense?


***I also posted this under "Death Eaters Inside Hogwarts" because I think it fits in both places***

this is just my wild thoughts flying around but... i believe that draco's mission was just to open up a entrance for the death eaters to get in. and that voldy was behind the whole gettin draco to kill dumbeldore becuase he knew he couldnt do it and so voldys plan was to get snape to kill him. these r jus my thoughts flyin around.

Hiya, I know this mite really have nothing to do with this topic but I know it happens around the same time, but does anyone have any theories to why DD froze harry before Snape killed him?????

Hi all
I was rereading Half Blood Prince and I found an interesting part which made me think about Draco Malfoy. When in Charms (or transfiguration but i think it was charms) when Ron gets the handlebar moustache and Hermione laughs he does something perculiar. He does a buck tooth imitation of her putting her hand up. Who else does this? Draco Malfoy has frequently used this cruel twisted way of torturing her. So why did Ron use it? Was it just to annoy Hermione or something else? I have several points that could prove a little theory (No1 being above which is the trigger event which helps these information unfold)
2- We know Malfoy meets he-who-must-not-be-named and that is why he uses occlumency. He-who-must-not-be-named could be teaching him as Malfoy learns the Unforgivable Curses.
3-We know that you know who knew a spell to implant a false memory at a young age. The same age as Draco Malfoy. Could he have taught Draco the same spell.
4-Harry entrusted Ron with the Felix Felices. Draco then got away. Ron was supposed to share the Felix between the 5 of them (Ron,Hermione,Ginny,Neville,Luna) but could it have been shared 6 times.
5-Draco stole Polyjuice Potion
6-Ron always helps look for Malfoy. When they cannot find him they pressume that he is in the room of requirement but maybe Ron was deliberately hiding him
7-Ron says about Malfoy having a hand of glory yet we have never until book 6 known for certain
I feel that using those points I have worked out Draco Malfoy's true mission. To get inside information on Harry Potter. Harry and Ron used Polyjoice potion to attempt to get inside information on Malfoy could he have used the same idea? We know Malfoy stole Polyjoice potion and then used it for Crabbe and Goyle. But could he have been imperiusing Ron and using Polyjuice on them both making them each over. Malfoy went to get information on Harry, leaving Ron to fix the cabinet. Kills two birds with one stone. When Malfoy gets back he uses the spell to implant a false memory on Ron. He makes Ron think he has been doing what Malfoy has been doing as Ron. aka him saying she laughed at my moustash.
They play this game all year. This maybe why Ron is so cruel and horrible to Hermione throughout. Malfoy hates her. So they play this game and eventually Malfoy has enough info on harry and ron has finished the cabinet. Malfoy as Ron waits outside the room of requirement. Ron lets DE in and switches with Malfoy. Malfoy has drunk Felix and gives a little to Ron possibly but maybe not. He implants a memory and goes off.
Malfoy almost kills DD but cant. Snape does. They run off but Malfoy manages to get out unharmed. Could this be that the Felix was working.
Malfoy may not have given Ron Felix. Evidence is that Ron almost lost a brother.

Therefore I think Malfoy's job was to get info on Harry and ley DE in then kill DD. Malfoy did 2/3 but is the info good enough to stop him being killed?

Wow! That is amazing. I never really picked up on that before. I need to read them more cardfully next time.
Anyway, it all makes scence and fits in to what happened. Maybe this theory is right? I believe it now.

Wow, now that's a post. Ok, up until the fourth point you had me. Ok, first of all, did the fact that Draco had like half a dozen (I haven't bothered to count so feel freeto correct me) Death Eaters with him not register that he could actually get out safe enough without the luck? Seriously, he was with highly trained wizards so if he was protected. And you can argue that even if they weren't there he might still have gotten out but since it didn't happen that way there's no point arguing it.

Second. Ron doesn't always help to look. If anyone cares to remember he and Hermione were frustrated by Harry's refusal to believe that Malfoy wasn't up to anything. And if Malfoy was being Ron then why would he follow Harry to the places where the real Ron or whatever was? Wouldn't he have tried to make him go a different way? He of all people know that Harry - along with Hermione, can figure out anything. So they could have figured out that.

And Ron's guess that he had the Hand of Glory, that was a guess because in COS, when Harry lands in Borgin and Burkes while visiting Diagon Alley and Draco and Lusius are in there, Borgin sees Malfoy looking at the Hand and says that he'd be lucky to have it, but Lucius gets cut and says his son is not a thief. So unless Draco walked out of the shop with it, it had it in his possession when Ron saw him there is no way Ron could have known it as Fact.

Lastly - Malfoy would never, never share the Felix with Ron, under no circumstances he would. So that rules out that theory. Because when their all in the Hospital Wing after the fight their talking about how lucky they were that they'd taken it because if they hadn't they'd be dead now. And since it was a little bottle I doubt there would be enough for all of them plus Malfoy. Not to mention that Malfoy would take the whole lot to make sure he got lots of luck.

It is a good theory though. It does give an idea as to why Ron was so mean. But I doubt Draco would use Ron. Voldemort might but Draco wouldn't, and one reason why - Hermione. She's the smartest witch in the year, everyone knows that. She has more knowledge on spells and that then anyone else so if Malfoy did implant a false memory and she found out about it, or had a hint about it then there would be no stopping her from finding something to counteract it and see what was trully happening. I may be giving her more credit then she actually deserves, but from what I've gathered about her through JK's writing she could figure out anything.

And for some reason I don't think Voldemort will kill Draco now. Dumbledore is dead, that's what he wanted, so therefore Draco's task was successful. The fact that Snape killed him means nothing. If the task had failed Voldemort would have lost one (now we know) loyal DE and a young kid who lacks conviction but is willing to take on anything to save his family. He'd be down two people, and sure he can recruit more but they'd be under a curse and curses can backfire.

I think it sounds little too impossible for me. For start,Ron is Harry's best friend, so it seems weird that Draco, who in my oppinion doesn't really know Harry, could fool him for being his best friend. It's true that Ron was mean to Hermione, I don't think anybody disagrees that, but I belive it's just that because Ron started to like Hermione more that friend and it confused him so much that he couldn't deal with it any other way.
And I don't simply belive that Draco even could perform so difficult spells. It's propably true that Voldemort tough him in some ways, but it just seems weird to me that he would be so keen to get know Harry

I agree with all you guys that part of Draco's mission was to kill DD... but only part.

I think that Draco was the person who was responsible for a few preliminary steps neccessarry to have the real mission take place:
1. Get both Vanishing Cabinets up and running/in working order
2. Insure that the Vanishing Cabinet could allow DEs into Hogwarts.
3. Get DD out of the way (preferably through death, but by incapicitation if necessarry) because he would not harm a student (as you guys have noted in your excellent postings!) whereas if a full-fledged DE came at DD, he would fight them and likely over-power them.

These steps had to be taken for the final, real purpose of the plan to take place:
a DE invasion of Hogwarts.
I think that this 'invasion' was meant to happen inside Hogwarts. Students and teachers who had showed themselves to be enemies of the Dark Lord, or who were simply bloodtraitors or Mudbloods were to be slaughtered. This would have sent a powerful message to the WW - the one person you trusted in (DD) is dead, and the one place you thought was safe has been overtaken by the servants of the Dark Lord.
This would have caused widespread Terror, Panic and Fear. People would have lost faith and been driven to despair. Actions such as these added to the already gloomy weather created by the breeding Dementors would have thrown the whole WW into a state much like VERY VERY SEVERE DEPRESSION.

If the WW was in such a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state, it wouldn't be hard to take them over. They would not (could not?) put up a real fight. Voldemort could easily take over.

A final though: this book is linked to CoS. So what if the final blow of the DE Invasion was to OPEN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS once again? I mean, we don't know everything about that place, and it is THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS!!! I think there is something else down there that Voldie wants to let out... and I hope we learn what it is in Book 7!

i think killing dumbledore was the real plan. it took him a long time to make the cabinet and he was gettign desperate. and for all we know Draco could of had lasat minute thoughts

I think Dracos real mission was to Kill Dumbledore. Draco is serving Voldemort and i think he would do it. I think he didn't do it becasue he was scared. After all he is only young. I don't think hes naturally evil. i think he was born into it.

Wow. There are so many opinions and I am sad I didn't read them all only because I have such a strong thought about this.

Someone asked why Voldemort would assign the task of murdering Professor Dumbledore to Draco expecting him to die.

The problem with Voldemort is that he expects everyone to think like he does. If someone were to attempt to kill him (and unfortunately it would be an attempt) then he would turn and kill that person without a second glance.

Professor Dumbledore doesn't think that way. He is so into redemption and second and third, and tenth chances that he is literally turning the other cheek to a would be assasin. And he did. Only to be murdered by his right hand man.

So, now that Draco has proven he is (in Voldemort's eyes) a weakling, does he die?

It is possible that he had another task along with the one where he was meant to kill Albus. Maybe Voldemort was finally listening to his followers who had been saying that Severus wasn't trustworthy. Maybe Wormtail is the one that has been informing Voldemort that he doesn't believe Severus is trustworthy. We don't know if thats true, but we don't know how long Wormtail has been at his house either, so we don't know what he's witnessed.

If Voldemort is finally listening to his followers then, it is possible that he gave Draco the task of trying to get Severus to goof up and really show which sides he's on. Draco is the only Death Eater that is around Severus all the time so it would be easier for him to find out what side he's truly on.

I'm sure that Voldemort knows how close Severus and Draco are, so I'm sure he knows that Severus would protect Draco whenever he needed to. It may be possible that Voldemort gave Draco the task of killing Albus with the knowledge that Draco wouldn't be able to accomplish it, and with the knowledge that Severus would be there to rectify any mishaps that occur. If he has that knowledge, then maybe he gave Draco that task in the hopes that if Draco does fail he would be able to finally learn what side Severus is really on.

Voldemort is positive that Albus's followers would do anything to keep him alive, because they need him, and so with that knowledge he would think that if Severus really has betrayed him and is loyal to Albus that he would find some way out of killing him. Severus is smart, so he may have realized what was going on, so Severus, along with Albus, come up with a plan to make sure that Voldemort still believes he is on his side. The best way for that to work is if Severus kills Albus, because no loyal member of the Order would kill their leader, so it would cement his place as Voldemorts loyal follower and it would silence the whispers of disloyalty.

I know its a bit farfetched, but with Rowling anything is possible.

I have thought alot about Draco's 'real' task since rereading HBP. Maybe Snape told LV who made the prohecy and to whom. Since Luicous failed to retrieved the prohecy from the Ministry of Magic, Draco needed to redeem him by kidnapping either Treelawney or Dumbledore. Treelawney hasn't been seen since she told Harry that Snape was there that night when the prohecy was made. Maybe his task was to both kill Dumbledore and kidnap Treelawney so that LV could hear the full prohecy. That would explain the ned for the DeathEaters

i think the task in general was jsut to make sure dumbledore ended up dead. it didnt really matter if draco killed him or not. snape said voldemort probably wanted him to kill dumbledore. i think that was probably right. dracos job in lord voldemorts mind was probably to test him and punish his father...he just had to get snape into a position where he could finish the job. and death eaters invading hogwarts probably wasnt a bad idea on his part either.

ooooooh! interesting question. I've always wondered that myself, and I can strongly say that almost all of your theories seem likely. well, personally I think the real reason Voldemort assigned Draco the task, was because he needed a good reason to kill him. I think he wanted to humiliate him real bad, before killing him & his family and prove to the other 'death eaters' what failure results in. now, the real question is, will voldemort kill draco? o well, I spose we can just keep guessing...