Dobby's motives in C of S

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 32656

Barb wrote:
> CoS suggests many intriguing things about Lucius Malfoy, although 
he 
> seems to be a somewhat peripheral character in it.  The following 
> things are possible:
> 
> Lucius Malfoy 
> 
> 1) knows that Tom Riddle became Voldemort
> 2) knows that Tom Riddle, not Hagrid, opened the chamber of 
secrets, 
> and that therefore Hagrid's expulsion was bogus
> 3) knows what happens when someone writes in the diary
> 4) knows that there is a basilisk in the chamber

I don't think that number 4 is a given at all.  In fact, if he *had* 
known that a basilisk was what came out of the Chamber to kill 
previously, he wouldn't have worked to have it opened, because he'd 
know that a basilisk doesn't distinguish between muggle and non-
muggle, and would only be controlled by a parseltongue.  Unless he 
assumed/was led to believe that Riddle through the diary could 
control the beast, which is possible.

And then wrote:
> he also didn't 
> consider that Draco could still be at risk, since truthfully, the 
> basilisk didn't care which students were Muggle-born and which 
> weren't.  

You know, I think all of this *might* give us a hint as to 
Voldemort's PR technique.  If Malfoy Sr. knows that Riddle = Voldy 
and that Riddle opened the Chamber, and possibly that Riddle used the 
basilisk hidden there to kill, Voldemort must have told him.  My 
guess is that Voldy would have told either his closest, elite 
supporters, or else he told them all, as a testament to his long-time 
power and to his position as the Heir of Slytherin.  But obviously he 
didn't reveal the whole story, or I would think that clever Lucius 
would have realized that the basilisk would be a danger to *any*one 
at Hogwarts, including his own son, and not risked the ploy.

> The part about Dobby intercepting Harry's mail and trying to 
prevent 
> him from attending Hogwarts does seem like a bit of a plot hole, in 
> retrospect.  Did Lucius Malfoy simply want to prevent Harry from 
> returning 

Hmm, I guess I never figured Malfoy sent Dobby.  It interpreted it as 
being clear that Dobby went illegit 
from the get-go, what with the profusion of self-punishment.

> Or, if Lucius Malfoy did not send Dobby to prevent Harry from 
coming 
> to Hogwarts and Dobby merely did it on his own, then why?  Dobby 
> didn't know Harry from a hole in the wall.  

Not true.  Dobby swoons at Harry at their first meeting.  Ooooh, the 
boy who defeated the Dark Lord, the great Harry Potter!  He states 
that life for house elves was even worse under LV's rule, and sees 
Harry as a house-elf savior.  Especially considering Dobby's penchant 
for independent thinking and his embrace of freedom when it comes, it 
seems part of his character that he would idolize Harry Potter.

>it would make some sense for 
> them to have a previous relationship.  The best we can do is 
> speculate that Dobby heard Draco ranting about Harry Potter at 
> Malfoy Manor, but that seems a poor prologue to the elf making the 
> effort to go to Surrey and prevent Harry from going to school to 
> protect him 

Er, not really.  Dobby is very observant, and the Malfoy household is 
apparently of the sort that treats servants like furniture ~ there, 
but ignored to the extent that they'll talk about anything and 
everything when a house elf is present under the assumption that it 
won't dare repeat it to anyone.  And seeing as Malfoy would have been 
seriously discombobbled by LV's defeat, I assume Harry Potter's role 
in LV's defeat was quite a hot topic.  And certainly Draco talked 
about Harry when he was home.  To me, not at all hard to believe that 
Dobby would have known about Harry; and as I said before, I can 
completely understand his adoration of Harry, as well.

> I suppose we can comfort ourselves with the thought that the reason 
> OotP is taking so long must be so that she can avoid plot holes 
like 
> this 

Wow, harsh judgement!  I guess I must be a marbled fruitcake for not 
recognizing it as a plot hole at all, much less it's severity....  
;-P  (Tongue firmly in cheek, there!)

Mahoney