When did Draco Imperius Rosmerta?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 149785

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:

> Pippin:
> It could be someone with access to Rosmerta and access to the 
> school. Interesting that JKR's website tells us that Lupin was 
> (or was supposed to be) stationed in Hogsmeade.
> 
> Someone had to check on Draco's progress and deliver news of 
> Voldemort's displeasure. One of the things that make me more 
> and more positive that there is a traitor in the Order is that
> I don't have to keep thinking up things for the traitor to do. 
> Other people keep doing it for me! 
> 
> Pippin
>

bboyminn:

Hummm... This really is a baffling subject. Clearly someone is helping
Draco both inside and outside Hogwarts. Yet on the otherhand, Draco
has been assigned to accomplish that task alone; quite an impossible
and unlikely task I might add.

When Draco and Snape talk outside Slughorn's party and Draco says he
has better people than Crabbe and Goyle helping him, that could really
be the limit of his statements. In short, what he is saying is that 'I
have fellow classmates who are smarter than Crabbe and Goyle helping
me'. In otherwords, the context of that conversation is limited.

Still there are the other questions. Who Imperiused Rosmerta? Who is
helping Draco solve the Vanishing Cabinet problems? To who and how is
Draco sending and receiving information? 

I believe he does have student who are smarter that Crabbe and Goyle
helping him, but like Crabbe and Goyle, Draco is not very forthcoming
with information on the purpose of their actions. 

As far as his outside contact, it could very easily be his mother. She
is always sending him 'care packages'; that has been established in
every book. Further, they could be sending coded messages; not really
that hard. I also speculate that Draco and his outside contact might
have talking-mirrors similar to Harry and Sirius. That would create
very fast timely communication. 

We know his mother is associated with Voldemort, and is a strong
cooperative supportive sympathizer even if she is not a full fledged
Death Eater; although, I suspect she probably is.

So, she Imperiused Rosmerta. She bought and delivered the necklace.
She induced Rosmerta to produce and deliver the poisoned mead. All at
Draco's request. Notice that at Snape's house, Mrs. Malfoy is somewhat
desperate and borderline irrational with fear that Draco will fail.
Despite how pathetic Draco's plans are, I suspect Mrs. Malfoy would go
along with them out of desperation. 

While Mr. Malfoy is suspect, you will note that he is not without
influence and power. For his nasty deeds of attempted murder and such
in the Dept of Mysteries, Mr. Malfoy was given something like 6 months
or so for breaking and entering. The charges were extremely mild
compared to his actions. He wasn't even charged by the court with
being a Death Eater.  I suspect by the beginning, or just after, of
the next book, Lucius will have served his time. 

My point here is that Mrs. Malfoy is not considered a criminal and is
free to roam the wizard world to her heart's content. That would make
it very easy for her to show up in Hogmead on various occassion for
aledged shopping trips or whatever. Stopping by the Three Broomsticks
for lunch or a drink would not be out of the ordinary. She is one of
the few remaining Death Eaters for whom it is still safe to show her
face in public.

Still, is that enough? Do we need a traitor on Hogwarts staff? Do we
really need a traitor in the Order? 

The most logical Hogwart's traitor would be Slughorn. Still, I'm
having trouble buying it. He has his faults, very Slytherin-esque
faults, but I get no sense that he is evil or even a Voldemort
supporter. Can't prove that of course, it's just my sense of the man.

As far as a traitor in the Order, many suggest Lupin, but again, I
just can see that. Yes, he is bitter, but he seems truly sincere in
his actions. Mundungus could inadvertantly betray the Order, but I'm
having trouble picturing him doing it willfully and/or for personal
gain. True he is a petty criminal, but that doesn't make him prone to
evil, and it is said that he is fiercely loyal to Dumbledore. Other
than Kingsley Shacklebolt, who I do not suspect, the remaining members
of the Order are too far into the background to play any strong role
in the story. 

Now, I could and would expect spies in the Ministry. We see time and
time again just how corrupt that organization is. Who, I can't say,
but certainly there are spies in the Ministry. Yet, I don't
necessarily see them having any part in Draco's effort.

To my central point, do I believe that it IS Mrs.Malfoy who is helping
Draco? Not really, it was just a thought. While I rarely have any
shortage of wild speculation, I confess myself somewhat baffled by the
whole 'Draco' situation, and suspect that this is exactly how JKR
intended to leave us. 

For what it's worth, there it is.

Steve/bboyminn