The way I've interpreted those scenes is that while the apple worked, and indeed Death Eater Anon sent it back with a bite out of it to prove it had gone somewhere, the bird did NOT work; the Vanishing Cabinet malfunctioned with a living thing and killed it, thus it wasn't yet ready to transport actual, living Death Eaters from the shop to Hogwarts.
Of course, the flaw in this is that one COULD assume Death Eater Anon DID kill the bird to prove it had gone somewhere. But then why does Draco, as you note, look so afraid and despairing that the bird is dead? I think he does assume that the cabinet malfunctioned and, therefore, that is perhaps what we are to take from that scene as well.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2013-10-12 08:53 pm (UTC)Of course, the flaw in this is that one COULD assume Death Eater Anon DID kill the bird to prove it had gone somewhere. But then why does Draco, as you note, look so afraid and despairing that the bird is dead? I think he does assume that the cabinet malfunctioned and, therefore, that is perhaps what we are to take from that scene as well.
???