[HPforGrownups] How did Dobby know the Chamber was going to be opened?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 42669

Gretchen;
> It just occured to me, how did Dobby know the Chamber was going to be 
> opened and Harry was going to be in danger if he returned to 
> Hogwarts?  Wormtail was still scabbers and not in touch with 
> Voldermort yet, the DE's were not in contact with Voldermort, 
> especially the Malfoy's.  Barty, Jr. was still under his fathers 
> control.  How did Dobby know?

Eloise:
The opening of the Chamber in CoS, If I understand it correctly, had nothing 
to do with Voldemort or the other DEs. I'm not sure why you bring up Scabbers 
or Crouch Jr.
Lucius Malfoy had Riddle's diary. I believe that he, too, communicated with 
Tom's memory through the diary and hatched with him the plot to open the 
Chamber. 
Dobby knows because he's the House Elf and therefore privilege to family 
secrets.
This isn't as strange as it sounds when you consider how servants were 
traditionally treated in old aristocratic homes. They would hear all sorts of 
stuff, for instance at the dinner table, where they were 'invisible' and 
regarded as part of the furniture (imagine - otherwise no one could talk 
about anything as informal opportunities for conversation were rare in 
old-fashioned, upper class houses). They were simply expected *not to hear*, 
or certainly not to pass on outside the house, what did not concern them. He 
may have witnessed Lucius communicating with the diary, or heard him telling 
Narcissa of his plan, for instance.

Gretchen:
> I should check my book for the exact quote, but Draco said to 
> Harry/Ron as Crabbe and Goyle under polyjuice potion that his dad 
> didn't know who opened the Chamber.  One would presume that Dobby 
> knew from Malfoy's, but if they didn't know, how did he find out?

Eloise:
He said (IIRC) that the chamber being last opened 50 years ago, it was before 
his father's time, so he didn't know about it. How very convenient! Lucius 
has been a little economical with the truth with his son, I feel!
He *does* know about the last time (IMO), but not from direct experience, 
only, like Harry, through communicating with the diary (and actually, we 
don't know how much Diary!Tom revealed to him).
But you know, if I were Lucius, I don't think I'd be confiding things like 
this in Draco, either. He be sure to go blabbing out of pride, or interfering 
and getting himself into real danger.

Eloise


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