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What was the point of Draco's plan?
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When I think about the whole plan Draco tried to fulfill throughout The Half-Blood Prince it seems unnecessarily complicated. He got the task to kill Dumbledore, but instead of concentrating on this task he invents another one - bring Death Eaters to the castle. It almost cost him his life (as Voldemort started to threaten him when it took too long) and definitely cost most of his nerves. It would be understandable if the Death Eaters would somehow ensure Draco's overpowering Dumbledore, but as we see at the end - he didn't really expect them to interfere when he cornered Dumbledore. According to his plan it seems that killing Dumbledore and getting DEs inside the castle are two separate tasks that are not really connected.
Imagine that his plan would work completely - than we have the sequence of events:
- cast the Dark Mark to lure Dumbledore
- let DEs inside the castle making a big mess and starting a fight with security
- corner Dumbledore while DEs are waking up the whole castle
- kill Dumbledore
- flee with all the security alerted
Now imagine he didn't invite Death Eaters. We basically have the same line of events, only much more simple:
- find Dumbledore alone
- corner Dumbledore and kill him
- flee quietly into the night
See? The whole business about killing Dumbledore goes the same way, the DEs don't have much to do with it. I would think he wanted a plan that ensures he would not be accused of Dumbledore's death - to stay at the school. But at the end he flees with all the DEs, so it apparently wasn't the point.
harry-potter albus-dumbledore
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
When I think about the whole plan Draco tried to fulfill throughout The Half-Blood Prince it seems unnecessarily complicated. He got the task to kill Dumbledore, but instead of concentrating on this task he invents another one - bring Death Eaters to the castle. It almost cost him his life (as Voldemort started to threaten him when it took too long) and definitely cost most of his nerves. It would be understandable if the Death Eaters would somehow ensure Draco's overpowering Dumbledore, but as we see at the end - he didn't really expect them to interfere when he cornered Dumbledore. According to his plan it seems that killing Dumbledore and getting DEs inside the castle are two separate tasks that are not really connected.
Imagine that his plan would work completely - than we have the sequence of events:
- cast the Dark Mark to lure Dumbledore
- let DEs inside the castle making a big mess and starting a fight with security
- corner Dumbledore while DEs are waking up the whole castle
- kill Dumbledore
- flee with all the security alerted
Now imagine he didn't invite Death Eaters. We basically have the same line of events, only much more simple:
- find Dumbledore alone
- corner Dumbledore and kill him
- flee quietly into the night
See? The whole business about killing Dumbledore goes the same way, the DEs don't have much to do with it. I would think he wanted a plan that ensures he would not be accused of Dumbledore's death - to stay at the school. But at the end he flees with all the DEs, so it apparently wasn't the point.
harry-potter albus-dumbledore
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
2
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
2
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
1
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
When I think about the whole plan Draco tried to fulfill throughout The Half-Blood Prince it seems unnecessarily complicated. He got the task to kill Dumbledore, but instead of concentrating on this task he invents another one - bring Death Eaters to the castle. It almost cost him his life (as Voldemort started to threaten him when it took too long) and definitely cost most of his nerves. It would be understandable if the Death Eaters would somehow ensure Draco's overpowering Dumbledore, but as we see at the end - he didn't really expect them to interfere when he cornered Dumbledore. According to his plan it seems that killing Dumbledore and getting DEs inside the castle are two separate tasks that are not really connected.
Imagine that his plan would work completely - than we have the sequence of events:
- cast the Dark Mark to lure Dumbledore
- let DEs inside the castle making a big mess and starting a fight with security
- corner Dumbledore while DEs are waking up the whole castle
- kill Dumbledore
- flee with all the security alerted
Now imagine he didn't invite Death Eaters. We basically have the same line of events, only much more simple:
- find Dumbledore alone
- corner Dumbledore and kill him
- flee quietly into the night
See? The whole business about killing Dumbledore goes the same way, the DEs don't have much to do with it. I would think he wanted a plan that ensures he would not be accused of Dumbledore's death - to stay at the school. But at the end he flees with all the DEs, so it apparently wasn't the point.
harry-potter albus-dumbledore
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
When I think about the whole plan Draco tried to fulfill throughout The Half-Blood Prince it seems unnecessarily complicated. He got the task to kill Dumbledore, but instead of concentrating on this task he invents another one - bring Death Eaters to the castle. It almost cost him his life (as Voldemort started to threaten him when it took too long) and definitely cost most of his nerves. It would be understandable if the Death Eaters would somehow ensure Draco's overpowering Dumbledore, but as we see at the end - he didn't really expect them to interfere when he cornered Dumbledore. According to his plan it seems that killing Dumbledore and getting DEs inside the castle are two separate tasks that are not really connected.
Imagine that his plan would work completely - than we have the sequence of events:
- cast the Dark Mark to lure Dumbledore
- let DEs inside the castle making a big mess and starting a fight with security
- corner Dumbledore while DEs are waking up the whole castle
- kill Dumbledore
- flee with all the security alerted
Now imagine he didn't invite Death Eaters. We basically have the same line of events, only much more simple:
- find Dumbledore alone
- corner Dumbledore and kill him
- flee quietly into the night
See? The whole business about killing Dumbledore goes the same way, the DEs don't have much to do with it. I would think he wanted a plan that ensures he would not be accused of Dumbledore's death - to stay at the school. But at the end he flees with all the DEs, so it apparently wasn't the point.
harry-potter albus-dumbledore
harry-potter albus-dumbledore
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
edited 37 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
92.6k39440620
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
asked 1 hour ago
Shana Tar
1,626922
1,626922
2
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
2
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
1
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
2
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
1
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago
2
2
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
2
2
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
1
1
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
He did try to carry out the plan all by himself.
Remember all those attempts that failed? The necklace that almost killed Katie Bell, the poison that almost killed Ron, ... That was Draco trying - perhaps rather half-heartedly, as Dumbledore himself surmised - to carry out the assassination. No Death Eaters would have been required if either the necklace or the poison had successfully reached Dumbledore.
"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."
He was scared and wanted backup.
Assassinating Dumbledore is a big ask, regardless of the fact that in theory he could do the deed quietly in a corner. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco is just a teenager, and Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the age. If it came down to a straight fight between them, Draco would have no chance. He needs to either catch Dumbledore by surprise or be one of a larger group all attacking at once. (In the end, he was lucky beyond his wildest dreams to find Dumbledore greatly weakened and apparently alone.) You make it sound as though "corner Dumbledore and kill him" is simply one of an A-B-C sequence of things to tick off a to-do list, but in reality that's one of the toughest tasks any Death Eater has been given.
"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once.
He seemed to realise how childish the words had sounded; Harry saw him flush in the Mark’s greenish light.
[...]
"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."
In addition to the difficulty of the task, there's Draco's own nerve to be taken into account. Does he really have it in him to murder his headmaster in cold blood? Death Eater backup would help to "screw his courage to the sticking point" and ensure that he actually carries out the task. We see how his nerve fails when he's talking to Dumbledore alone but he seems closer to actually doing it when he has the others breathing down his neck. Maybe he didn't fully trust himself not to turn tail and flee without companions who were more ruthless and vicious than he.
"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I’m standing here with a wand – I’m about to kill you –"
"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."
As it turns out, even when he does have the other Death Eaters egging him on, he's hardly able to perform the deed even before Snape shows up to do it for him:
Now, Draco, quickly!' said the brutal-faced man angrily.
But Malfoy’s hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
[...]
"We’ve got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn’t seem able –"
All quotes from HP and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28.
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Dumbledore answers this in the final book, in Snape's memory:
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental
victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy.
In short, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, something that he hoped would reinstate his and his family's status with Voldemort, but had no desire to actually go through with. He was trying any plan that came to his mind through out the year, half-heartedly hoping one of them would work. But at the end, he neither had the desire nor the fortitude to actually kill Dumbledore, as Dumbledore himself points out in the half blood prince:
'My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were
going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me,
you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and
means.'
So him calling the DE into the school was just another desperate attempts, throwing anything he can think of on the wall to see what sticks. I doubt Draco himself had thought about what would actually happen once his backup reached the school.
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
He did try to carry out the plan all by himself.
Remember all those attempts that failed? The necklace that almost killed Katie Bell, the poison that almost killed Ron, ... That was Draco trying - perhaps rather half-heartedly, as Dumbledore himself surmised - to carry out the assassination. No Death Eaters would have been required if either the necklace or the poison had successfully reached Dumbledore.
"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."
He was scared and wanted backup.
Assassinating Dumbledore is a big ask, regardless of the fact that in theory he could do the deed quietly in a corner. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco is just a teenager, and Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the age. If it came down to a straight fight between them, Draco would have no chance. He needs to either catch Dumbledore by surprise or be one of a larger group all attacking at once. (In the end, he was lucky beyond his wildest dreams to find Dumbledore greatly weakened and apparently alone.) You make it sound as though "corner Dumbledore and kill him" is simply one of an A-B-C sequence of things to tick off a to-do list, but in reality that's one of the toughest tasks any Death Eater has been given.
"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once.
He seemed to realise how childish the words had sounded; Harry saw him flush in the Mark’s greenish light.
[...]
"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."
In addition to the difficulty of the task, there's Draco's own nerve to be taken into account. Does he really have it in him to murder his headmaster in cold blood? Death Eater backup would help to "screw his courage to the sticking point" and ensure that he actually carries out the task. We see how his nerve fails when he's talking to Dumbledore alone but he seems closer to actually doing it when he has the others breathing down his neck. Maybe he didn't fully trust himself not to turn tail and flee without companions who were more ruthless and vicious than he.
"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I’m standing here with a wand – I’m about to kill you –"
"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."
As it turns out, even when he does have the other Death Eaters egging him on, he's hardly able to perform the deed even before Snape shows up to do it for him:
Now, Draco, quickly!' said the brutal-faced man angrily.
But Malfoy’s hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
[...]
"We’ve got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn’t seem able –"
All quotes from HP and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28.
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
He did try to carry out the plan all by himself.
Remember all those attempts that failed? The necklace that almost killed Katie Bell, the poison that almost killed Ron, ... That was Draco trying - perhaps rather half-heartedly, as Dumbledore himself surmised - to carry out the assassination. No Death Eaters would have been required if either the necklace or the poison had successfully reached Dumbledore.
"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."
He was scared and wanted backup.
Assassinating Dumbledore is a big ask, regardless of the fact that in theory he could do the deed quietly in a corner. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco is just a teenager, and Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the age. If it came down to a straight fight between them, Draco would have no chance. He needs to either catch Dumbledore by surprise or be one of a larger group all attacking at once. (In the end, he was lucky beyond his wildest dreams to find Dumbledore greatly weakened and apparently alone.) You make it sound as though "corner Dumbledore and kill him" is simply one of an A-B-C sequence of things to tick off a to-do list, but in reality that's one of the toughest tasks any Death Eater has been given.
"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once.
He seemed to realise how childish the words had sounded; Harry saw him flush in the Mark’s greenish light.
[...]
"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."
In addition to the difficulty of the task, there's Draco's own nerve to be taken into account. Does he really have it in him to murder his headmaster in cold blood? Death Eater backup would help to "screw his courage to the sticking point" and ensure that he actually carries out the task. We see how his nerve fails when he's talking to Dumbledore alone but he seems closer to actually doing it when he has the others breathing down his neck. Maybe he didn't fully trust himself not to turn tail and flee without companions who were more ruthless and vicious than he.
"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I’m standing here with a wand – I’m about to kill you –"
"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."
As it turns out, even when he does have the other Death Eaters egging him on, he's hardly able to perform the deed even before Snape shows up to do it for him:
Now, Draco, quickly!' said the brutal-faced man angrily.
But Malfoy’s hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
[...]
"We’ve got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn’t seem able –"
All quotes from HP and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28.
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
He did try to carry out the plan all by himself.
Remember all those attempts that failed? The necklace that almost killed Katie Bell, the poison that almost killed Ron, ... That was Draco trying - perhaps rather half-heartedly, as Dumbledore himself surmised - to carry out the assassination. No Death Eaters would have been required if either the necklace or the poison had successfully reached Dumbledore.
"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."
He was scared and wanted backup.
Assassinating Dumbledore is a big ask, regardless of the fact that in theory he could do the deed quietly in a corner. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco is just a teenager, and Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the age. If it came down to a straight fight between them, Draco would have no chance. He needs to either catch Dumbledore by surprise or be one of a larger group all attacking at once. (In the end, he was lucky beyond his wildest dreams to find Dumbledore greatly weakened and apparently alone.) You make it sound as though "corner Dumbledore and kill him" is simply one of an A-B-C sequence of things to tick off a to-do list, but in reality that's one of the toughest tasks any Death Eater has been given.
"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once.
He seemed to realise how childish the words had sounded; Harry saw him flush in the Mark’s greenish light.
[...]
"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."
In addition to the difficulty of the task, there's Draco's own nerve to be taken into account. Does he really have it in him to murder his headmaster in cold blood? Death Eater backup would help to "screw his courage to the sticking point" and ensure that he actually carries out the task. We see how his nerve fails when he's talking to Dumbledore alone but he seems closer to actually doing it when he has the others breathing down his neck. Maybe he didn't fully trust himself not to turn tail and flee without companions who were more ruthless and vicious than he.
"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I’m standing here with a wand – I’m about to kill you –"
"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."
As it turns out, even when he does have the other Death Eaters egging him on, he's hardly able to perform the deed even before Snape shows up to do it for him:
Now, Draco, quickly!' said the brutal-faced man angrily.
But Malfoy’s hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
[...]
"We’ve got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn’t seem able –"
All quotes from HP and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28.
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
He did try to carry out the plan all by himself.
Remember all those attempts that failed? The necklace that almost killed Katie Bell, the poison that almost killed Ron, ... That was Draco trying - perhaps rather half-heartedly, as Dumbledore himself surmised - to carry out the assassination. No Death Eaters would have been required if either the necklace or the poison had successfully reached Dumbledore.
"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts ... So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."
He was scared and wanted backup.
Assassinating Dumbledore is a big ask, regardless of the fact that in theory he could do the deed quietly in a corner. Dark Mark or no Dark Mark, Draco is just a teenager, and Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the age. If it came down to a straight fight between them, Draco would have no chance. He needs to either catch Dumbledore by surprise or be one of a larger group all attacking at once. (In the end, he was lucky beyond his wildest dreams to find Dumbledore greatly weakened and apparently alone.) You make it sound as though "corner Dumbledore and kill him" is simply one of an A-B-C sequence of things to tick off a to-do list, but in reality that's one of the toughest tasks any Death Eater has been given.
"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" said Malfoy at once.
He seemed to realise how childish the words had sounded; Harry saw him flush in the Mark’s greenish light.
[...]
"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."
In addition to the difficulty of the task, there's Draco's own nerve to be taken into account. Does he really have it in him to murder his headmaster in cold blood? Death Eater backup would help to "screw his courage to the sticking point" and ensure that he actually carries out the task. We see how his nerve fails when he's talking to Dumbledore alone but he seems closer to actually doing it when he has the others breathing down his neck. Maybe he didn't fully trust himself not to turn tail and flee without companions who were more ruthless and vicious than he.
"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I’m standing here with a wand – I’m about to kill you –"
"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means."
As it turns out, even when he does have the other Death Eaters egging him on, he's hardly able to perform the deed even before Snape shows up to do it for him:
Now, Draco, quickly!' said the brutal-faced man angrily.
But Malfoy’s hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
[...]
"We’ve got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn’t seem able –"
All quotes from HP and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28.
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
edited 40 mins ago
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
answered 51 mins ago
Rand al'Thor♦
92.6k39440620
92.6k39440620
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I believe the book says that those feeble attempts were made when Draco was desperate that he would not be able to do the initial plan. The main plan still included DEs.
– Shana Tar
45 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
I agree that corner and kill Dumbledore is a very weak plan and one would expect something more is needed to do the task. But at the end it is exactly what Draco did! He went without any support to try and overpower Dumbledore by himself - and apparently it was according to his plan, leaving DEs behind.
– Shana Tar
42 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Shana And he found himself unable to actually do it, even when he found Dumbledore weaker and more helpless than he could ever have dared to hope.
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
Well yes, we know it. But we see he was very proud of getting the task at the first place, he declined Snape's assistance as he wanted to gain all the glory himself. Do you think he was planing all this from the very beginning with one thought in mind: I will not be able to do it, anyway, so let's have some backup. Not Snape though, I do not look for easy ways? :)
– Shana Tar
33 mins ago
1
1
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
@ShanaTar Maybe, like his aunt, he didn't trust Snape to really be on Voldemort's side? Maybe he was simply stressed out and confused, partly wanting the glory for himself and partly afraid that he'd be too scared to go through with it.
– Rand al'Thor♦
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Dumbledore answers this in the final book, in Snape's memory:
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental
victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy.
In short, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, something that he hoped would reinstate his and his family's status with Voldemort, but had no desire to actually go through with. He was trying any plan that came to his mind through out the year, half-heartedly hoping one of them would work. But at the end, he neither had the desire nor the fortitude to actually kill Dumbledore, as Dumbledore himself points out in the half blood prince:
'My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were
going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me,
you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and
means.'
So him calling the DE into the school was just another desperate attempts, throwing anything he can think of on the wall to see what sticks. I doubt Draco himself had thought about what would actually happen once his backup reached the school.
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Dumbledore answers this in the final book, in Snape's memory:
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental
victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy.
In short, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, something that he hoped would reinstate his and his family's status with Voldemort, but had no desire to actually go through with. He was trying any plan that came to his mind through out the year, half-heartedly hoping one of them would work. But at the end, he neither had the desire nor the fortitude to actually kill Dumbledore, as Dumbledore himself points out in the half blood prince:
'My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were
going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me,
you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and
means.'
So him calling the DE into the school was just another desperate attempts, throwing anything he can think of on the wall to see what sticks. I doubt Draco himself had thought about what would actually happen once his backup reached the school.
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Dumbledore answers this in the final book, in Snape's memory:
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental
victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy.
In short, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, something that he hoped would reinstate his and his family's status with Voldemort, but had no desire to actually go through with. He was trying any plan that came to his mind through out the year, half-heartedly hoping one of them would work. But at the end, he neither had the desire nor the fortitude to actually kill Dumbledore, as Dumbledore himself points out in the half blood prince:
'My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were
going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me,
you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and
means.'
So him calling the DE into the school was just another desperate attempts, throwing anything he can think of on the wall to see what sticks. I doubt Draco himself had thought about what would actually happen once his backup reached the school.
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
Dumbledore answers this in the final book, in Snape's memory:
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental
victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy.
In short, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, something that he hoped would reinstate his and his family's status with Voldemort, but had no desire to actually go through with. He was trying any plan that came to his mind through out the year, half-heartedly hoping one of them would work. But at the end, he neither had the desire nor the fortitude to actually kill Dumbledore, as Dumbledore himself points out in the half blood prince:
'My dear boy, let us have no more pretence about that. If you were
going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me,
you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and
means.'
So him calling the DE into the school was just another desperate attempts, throwing anything he can think of on the wall to see what sticks. I doubt Draco himself had thought about what would actually happen once his backup reached the school.
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
answered 34 mins ago
user13267
12.7k682156
12.7k682156
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
1
1
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
Calling the DEs into the school was not just another desperate attempt. Unlike other attempts, it was the initial fully planned idea of fulfilling the task. We see Draco started to work on it even before the beginning of the school year - when he goes to Borgin and Burkes. And again, he seems to be very proud of the task and his plan at the beginning when he boasts in front of other slytherins. His attitude changed later, but the plan was composed while he was still pretty excited about the task - did he even then know he would never get the nerve to do it? I doubt that.
– Shana Tar
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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2
If you had been ordered to kill a heavily trained spy whilst in school would you go alone or find some more experienced people to go with you as backup?
– TheLethalCarrot
1 hour ago
@TheLethalCarrot Yes, but at the end he didn't rely on them, did he? He went to look for Dumbledore alone, as he could do any other time. He could not possibly know Dumbledore was weakened by the cave potion, so he should have been expected to meet the full powered Dumbledore. If Draco would lose to him, how would his backup help? They all came much, much later. If he relied on their help, he would not go for Dumbledore by himself.
– Shana Tar
49 mins ago
2
@TheLethalCarrot Dumbledore was a heavily trained spy? TIL :-P
– Rand al'Thor♦
38 mins ago
@Randal'Thor Yeah he was actually Voldemort's superior, the mastermind behind it all.
– TheLethalCarrot
37 mins ago
1
A plan in Harry Potter that seems needlessly complicated? That's unpossible.
– Valorum
10 mins ago