Dumbledore on the Dursleys in OotP (LONG)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 151499

Carol:
> 
> I would argue, and here I think we agree, that Kreacher is responsible
> for his own decision to interpret Sirius's order "Out!" as an order to
> leave the house and for his choice to go to Narcissa (his dear
> Bellatrix being in Azkaban and not accessible). It was also his own
> decision to obey her, providing whatever information about Sirius and
> Harry that he could give without violating a direct order, injuring
> Buckbeak, and lying to Harry when Harry's head appeared in the
> fireplace. (Yes, of course, Narcissa and probably Lucius bear a large
> share of the blame for giving him those orders.) Kreacher *chooses* to
> obey those orders, gleefully thwarting his rightful master (who holds
> all the "wrong" views and hates Kreacher's dear dead mistress).

Pippin:
This is the only part of  Carol's post I would disagree with. Sirius says that
Kreacher is "supposed to do whatever anyone in the family asks him."
I think that Kreacher could not disobey  direct orders from  Narcissa, 
who, unlike Tonks, was a fully acknowledged member of the Black family. 

He was, however, responsible for the decision to go to Narcissa, for lying 
to Sirius about where he'd been, and for whatever he did for Narcissa 
beyond what was commanded of him.

I don't know why Sirius never ordered Kreacher not to lie, but I suspect
that wizard lore is full of cautionary tales about the possible effects of
such an order. For example, if Winky had been under orders to tell the
truth, she couldn't have helped Crouch conceal that she had been 
minding his son.

Pippin