What's he up to?

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 94788

Every  so often there's a trickle of posts wondering about "the small 
thing in CoS  that will  have a bearing later" that Steve Cloves 
mentioned during an interview. Like most posters I've made a few 
guesses and then passed on to something else. Without further hints 
we're whistling in the dark and sure as eggs is eggs we'll get no 
confirmation from from JKR, even if by chance we do latch onto the 
answer.

However, there is something in CoS that bears  thinking about - and it 
isn't small (except physically) and that concerns Dobby. I posted on 
this last October, but all too frequently when the subject of House 
Elves is raised a plethora of posters leap  to decry the treatment of 
Elves in the WW and the thread tends to repeat all the old sociological 
arguments without really  addressing the point raised. So let's just 
take it as read that any ill-treatment is to be deplored and that no 
doubt JKR will explain all at a later date.

What I want to concentrate on is not what they are or how they are 
treated but what Dobby actually  *does*. There could be a very big clue 
lurking in there somewhere.

Dobby himself tells Harry that House Elves are bound "...to  serve one 
house, one family." They're not  interested in strangers, only in  
serving the Family they are attached to. Yet Dobby adds that he has 
"...come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him..." And once again Harry 
misses the chance to ask some pointed questions.

So why is Dobby so very concerned about an apparent stranger? Note that 
he is not at all concerned about any of Harry's friends or colleagues 
and certainly not with Ginny, who is the front line victim for Malfoy's 
little ploy with the diary. The rebirth of Tom Riddle is of supreme 
indifference to him, it is only the involvement of, and the possible 
dangers to Harry that matters.

So  what's going on?

Well, there are two possible scenarios that could explain Dobby's 
actions. The  first, one that I put forward last year, is that Harry 
*is* a member of the family that  Dobby serves. Just as Kreacher 
escapes  to Bella by  deliberately(?) misconstruing an instruction from 
Sirius, so Dobby does the same; seeking out another family member who 
holds views sympathetic to his own and giving them the low-down on what 
those  horrible people back at the ranch are up to.

The fact that the Potter name, though pureblood, does not appear on the 
Black tapestry gives this theory a small boost. JKR has  been 
suspiciously reticent  about the antecedents of James Potter, although 
in her most recent web-cast she did allow that James's parents were not 
of great importance. The actual name doesn't seem to fit into the 
mainstream of pureblood  families either; it seems mundane among the 
Diggles and Dumbledores, but not so much so among the Blacks and 
Averys. A change of name to demonstrate a renunciation of family values 
is just possible but not likely.

Then there is the whole brou-ha-ha of Dobby's manumission. This has 
been argued loud and long. Malfoy obviously did not intend for Dobby to 
be freed; can ties  be broken when there is no intention? Add Dobby's 
insistence that it was *Harry* that set him free and we have a whole 
can of flobberworms open  and writhing. How can Harry  set him free if 
he's not family? Others insist that it was a trick on Harry's part to 
lure Malfoy into a thoughtless but irrevocable act.

Maybe. But a new (to me) idea has been percolating through my 
admittedly twisted and conspiratorial mind. And it doesn't necessarily 
involve family ties, though they can be added as a bonus if you feel so 
inclined.

What started me thinking was how often Dobby managed to get away from 
chez Malfoy during that year. He seemed to be spending an inordinate 
amount of time with Harry and at Hogwarts. How many instructions could 
Lucius give that could be misunderstood? And the timing; "Oh goody. 
Master has dropped a bollock again. I've just got time to nip across to 
Hogwarts and  spell  that Bludger.  How convenient."  Did Malfoy never 
notice that Dobby was absent without leave and did he never ask him 
where he'd been and what he'd been up to? Doesn't seem to fit  with 
what we  know of Malfoy's character IMO.

But suppose, just suppose, that Lucius *sent*  Dobby with strict 
instructions to  stop Harry from attending Hogwarts that year and if 
necessary to warn him of danger. What  could that mean? He's still not 
bothered about what happens to Ginny; not surprising when we see the 
animosity between Lucius and Arthur in Flourish and Blotts. He too is 
only concerned about Harry. It's not really feasible that he could 
foresee Harry defeating Tom, the diary and the Basilisk - Harry's only 
12, a very novice wizard and is seen more as a pest than as a dangerous 
adversary. He wasn't even known to be a Parselmouth  at the time of 
Dobby's first visit. No, the obvious danger to the plot was DD not  
Harry. And DD  was neatly  sidelined later, once the  corridors were  
strewn with stiffs.

So although we can assume that Lucius wanted the Basilisk out and 
about, eyeballing the students, he seemingly didn't want Harry 
wandering around with a bulls-eye on his back. Why not?  He's on 
Voldy's team isn't he?

Maybe. Although even Voldy  seemed to wonder about Lucius's motives 
when they were re-united in the graveyard. He  claims to smell guilt 
and tells Malfoy he expects a more faithful service in future. And 
Malfoy's response -  "My Lord, I was on the alert..." You bet he was, 
but for what? Thieves fall out, a truism, but does it apply here? And 
why would Lucius get Harry involved in an possible internal DE 
power-play? Well, Harry  is supposed to be Voldy's nemesis. A fairly 
risk-free option would be to make sure Harry survives to adulthood and 
the long anticipated showdown and meanwhile Malfoy quietly builds a 
power base - Fudge, the Ministry, the right people in charge of 
Hogwarts.  Malfoy for Minister. Sneaky. Could even work.

All  this assumes that Malfoy is a thoroughly bad lot and totally 
committed to the Dark side. Is he? Consider, who does  Snape hang 
around with, when he hangs around with anyone? Lucius. And Snape is 
supposed to be the link man between Voldy and DD. What if there's more 
than one link in the chain? Voldy would be mad to trust Snape, but he 
trusts Malfoy, at least up until now. It would also solve the problem 
of how Snape overcame his past betrayal to Voldy by simply by-passing 
it. He doesn't need to grovel before Voldy hoping like hell that 
Voldy's wand won't twitch and that Nagini has already been fed if 
Lucius is the main source for the Order's intelligence. Add in the 
interview with DD at  the end of CoS. Lots of folk have expressed 
surprise that DD went so easy on him after he had caused so much 
trouble. A case of "You  scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," 
perhaps? Seduction instead of brute force?

So Malfoy plays both ends against the middle, cooperating with both 
sides to a certain extent until he can pick the winner. How would that 
grab him? I  think he'd like it - he'd think he was being clever. Until 
the fight in the Ministry. Still, not  too  bad -  the Dementors have 
gone and Voldy will no doubt get him sprung fairly soon.

What can we expect? Contrition, a mending of his ways or an even more 
fanatical adherence to the DE cause? Place your bets. Not many posters 
have had a close look at Malfoy recently, he seems  to slip under the 
radar. Too slippery by half - I think he bears watching.

Kneasy