[HPforGrownups] Re: Eagle Owl (was Beastly Li'l Snape)

[Porphyria]

No: HPFGUIDX 37818

Ms Lizard Gizzard wrote:
> > I had assumed that the eagle owl belonged to
> > Crouch/Moody.  I never dreamed it was Draco's.
> >
> > Is this evidence that Draco himself is in contact
> > with Voldemort?  Or do you suppose that all Death
> > Eaters have eagle owls?

Grey Wolf replied:

> There is no canon to back up the eagle owl theory. We do know that
> Draco gets food from his parents via an eagle owl (Harry mentions it in
> PS at the very beggining, when he's explaining us how the mornings go
> at Hogwarts). The stretch of asuming that it is the same eagle owl that
> Harry "flies" is one I'm not willing to do, but it is possible from a
> theorical point of view. We cannot dismiss either that the DE used
> eagle owls for communication, but again there's no canon for that.

True, and a I think we can safely assume that neither Draco nor Lucius 
was in league with Voldemort at this point in GoF; Voldemort speaks to 
Lucius in the graveyard scene as if they haven't communicated since 
before LV's downfall. The eagle owl could have been Crouch Jr.'s and I 
do like the idea that 'aristocratic' pureblood DE's might make a habit 
of using eagle owls. But it does seem that there are only a finite 
number of owl types that get used as couriers, so there's bound to be 
some overlap in the series.

We do know that Crouch Jr. was communicating with LV during his time at 
Hogwarts. Under polyjuice he says: "My father escaped. My master guessed 
that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore 
everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me 
from Azkaban My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to 
stop him at all costs."

And we see the eagle owl fly away sometime before Crouch Sr. shows up 
raving. So it's possible it's in the process of carrying Crouch Jr.'s 
communication with LV.

However, at the risk of being fussy over a parenthetical remark this 
early in the week, Grey Wolf also said:

> (I should remind everyone in the list that we do
> not, in fact, know for certain that Draco's father was a DE: there
> could be another Malfoy - and a Crabbe and a Goyle too. No, I too
> believe that they're guilty, but Harry didn't *really* see their
> faces).

Here's the quote from the graveyard scene:

<<
"Lucius, my slippery friend," [LV] whispered, halting before him. "I am 
told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you 
present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a 
spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, 
Lucius....Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I 
daresay...but might not your energies have been better directed toward 
finding and aiding your master?"

"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," came Lucius Malfoy's voice 
swiftly from beneath the hood.
 >>

Why shouldn't we assume this is the same guy? He's referred to by both 
first and last name. Harry has encountered Lucius Malfoy on several 
occasions, at least three times in CoS and more recently at the QWC. 
Surely he can recognize Lucius's voice. And I don't think he'd make a 
positive id to Fudge if he weren't sure.

Granted the Crabbe and Goyle in the graveyard scene could be Uncle 
Crabbe and Grandpa Goyle, but somehow I doubt it. JKR seems too intent 
on setting up generational parallels and providing opportunities for 
children to either take after their parents or choose not to. I don't 
immediately see why this should be an exception, so I'll go ahead and 
assume these two are Dad and Dad for now.

Is it just me or would anyone else love it if in some future book 
Vincent Crabbe hauls himself into Snape's office and says "You know 
Professor, my parents really want me to get involved with this Death 
Eater thing, but I've been thinking a lot about it lately, and I don't 
know...it just seems *morally wrong* somehow."

Any takers for a prediction? :-)

~~Porphyria


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