Dobby as a Spy

[ingachristsuperstar]

No: HPFGUIDX 55315

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bohcoo" <
sydenmill at m...> wrote:

> Malfoy wanted Harry out of the way and sent Dobby to do it.
>  
> In COS, ch 2, Dobby tells Harry: "There is a plot, Harry Potter. A 
> plot to make the most terrible things happen at Hogwarts 
School of 
> Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly 
> trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry 
> Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir."
>  
> But, it wasn't until ch. 17 that Riddle explains to Harry, "Haven't
I 
> already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods 
> doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my 
new target 
> has been -- you."
>  
> Okay -- how did Dobby know that Harry Potter, in particular, 
would 
> be in danger when Riddle himself didn't decide to go after 
Harry 
> until after Ginny wrote all about Harry in the diary, months after 
> Dobby's warning to Harry? Some kind of elf magic that can 
look into 
> the future? Or, just a fib that Harry would buy as to why Dobby 
came 
> to him in the first place?  

>  Bohcoo



Well, I don't think Dobby knew that Harry Potter would 
necessarily be in particular danger from the plot, but if Dobby 
knew there was a plan to release a monster that could kill 
people by looking at them, and Harry would be in the same 
building with said monster, it is not unreasonable to assume 
that Harry would be in danger.  Even if DObby only knew that 
there was a plot to kill students, Harry would still have been in 
danger by virtue of being at Hogwarts.

What's more, Dobby knows that the plot involves Voldemort.  He 
knows that Voldemort has a tendancy to try to kill Harry.  The 
diary!Voldemort doesn't know about Harry until later thru Ginny, 
and only then goes after him in particular.  Dobby wouldn't 
know about this change of heart per se, but he would still have 
good reason to think that any incarnation of V would go after 
Harry.

It is possible that Lucius sent Dobby to keep Harry away.  But I 
don't think its necessary to explain Dobby's presence there.  It 
would seem to be contradicted by Dobby constantly punishing 
himself for being there.  I think the most consistent explanation 
is that Dobby was afraid for Harry's life and felt both indebted to 
him for the sake of the rest of his people who were no longer 
treated "like vermin" and a duty to prevent that from happening 
again.

-Ing