When did Draco Imperius Rosmerta? (was: Re: CHAPDISC: hbp12, Silver and Opals)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 149815

> >>Carol:
> <snip>
> We have hints from Draco to Snape that he has someone more powerful
> and important than Crabbe and Goyle helping him. We have Draco's
> insinuation to Dumbledore that Rosmerta was under the Imperius    
> Curse, and the poisoned mead and mysteriously delivered package   
> (with a secondary Imperius placed on Katie Bell) to support the   
> claim. (And it's Madam Rosmerta who points out the Dark Mark to    
> DD, if that's important.) We have Draco's awareness of new threats 
> from Voldemort, implying some form of communication between them. 
> We have the cursed necklace wrapped in plain brown paper somehow  
> arriving at the Three Broomsticks (apparently mailed by Borgin or 
> hand-delivered by Draco's accomplice since Draco could not have   
> gottent it into or out of Hogwarts). We have Draco's claim that he 
> got the idea for the cursed coins from Hermione (overheard in the 
> library, IIRC), who in turn got the idea from the Dark Mark       
> (which, inconveniently, we don't fully understand, either).
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Really good summary, Carol.  Though I'll point out that Draco 
probably picked up the coin idea *before* returning to Hogwarts.  
Hermione doesn't mention the communication coins in the library, so 
this was probably something he learned about the previous year.  
It's quite possible then, that Draco's helper has a coin to give to 
Rosmerta when he or she Imperiuses her.

> >>Carol:
> Okay, based on these ramblings, my tentative conclusions are
> 1) The owls were not being monitored (which might be why Filch was
> checking for dark or cursed objects being taken out of school into
> Hogsmeade), and Draco communicated with LV and Borgin using them

Betsy Hp:
In the library conversation Harry mentions that the owls are being 
searched which is why the love potions have to be smuggled in.  This 
means, IMO, that Dumbledore has a pretty good excuse to read Draco's 
mail without appearing to single him out.

> >>Carol:
> 2) Either Bellatrix put an Imperius Curse on the coins or Draco    
> put a Protean Charm on them and merely used them to communicate   
> with Rosmerta, who was Imperio'd by someone else (the unknown DE   
> or traitor)

Betsy Hp:
Since we've not heard mention of an object baring the Imperius Curse 
I think that idea is a stretch.  It seems like Draco mainly used 
Rosmerta to tell him when Dumbledore was out of Hogwarts, which 
would be easy to sum up in a word or two to fit on a coin.

And if there *is* a helper, then they were responsible for the 
necklace incident.  And Draco himself would have been able to 
arrange for the poisoned mead.  So those orders would have occured 
face to face.

> >>Carol: 
> 3) The unknown helper in Hogsmeade was not Bellatrix, PP, or      
> Kreacher, for the reasons stated above, nor was it a kid like     
> Blaise.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I still think Bellatrix is an option.  Because her attack on 
Rosmerta and the orders she delivered could well have occured in the 
cover of darkness.  Total freedom of movement doesn't seem to be all 
that necessary for Draco's helper, I think.

> >>Pippin:
> <snip>
> Someone had to check on Draco's progress and deliver news of
> Voldemort's displeasure.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
It makes sense that there's some form of communication between 
Voldemort and Draco. And yet, Draco panicks and does his rather 
desperate necklace thing before he's free to leave the castle.  So 
does that mean his helper has access to the school?  Or, and this 
seems simpler, did Draco merely have a deadline he knew he was going 
to miss?

I don't think Draco starts talking about his family paying the price 
of his failure until after Christmas break.  So he may have had a 
less than pleasant meeting with Voldemort (or received an ultimatum) 
at that time.

> >>bboyminn:
> Hummm... This really is a baffling subject. Clearly someone is    
> helping Draco both inside and outside Hogwarts.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
What do you see pointing towards Draco receiving clear help *inside* 
Hogwarts?

> >>bboyminn:
> <snip>
> Who is helping Draco solve the Vanishing Cabinet problems?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I really get the sense that Draco is working on this problem all by 
himself.  I think Borgin maybe pointed him in a direction, but I 
think Draco is using his own intelligence and the rather extensive 
Hogwarts' library to fix the cabinet.

> >>bboyminn:
> <snip>
> As far as his outside contact, it could very easily be his mother.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I have two problems with Draco's mother being his mysterious 
helper.  The first is that she would have strongly encouraged him to 
work with Snape, which we know Draco doesn't do.  And second, 
in "Draco's Detour" Draco is pulling *away* from his mother.  
There's nothing to suggest a close, working relationship there.

I think Narcissa would have *liked* to be Draco's support system, 
but Draco, as growing children do, is trying to stand on his own.  
HBP is all about Draco growing up, so I doubt he's depending on his 
mother to save the day.

> >>Exodusts:
> Hasn't anyone mentioned Fenrir Greyback, the family friend, as one 
> of Draco's "better" assistants (and Borgin)?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think Borgin does give Draco a few tips on the cabinet, but that's 
about it.  I can't see him Imperiusing Rosmerta.  I'm not sure 
Fenrir Greyback can even do magic.  But even if he can, it's canon 
that Draco is scared of werewolves (they may be his equivilent to 
Ron's spiders) so I can't see Draco calmly working with Greyback.  
(I suspect the "family friend" comment was at best an exaggeration 
and more than likely an out and out lie.  Unless he's thinking of 
Auntie Bellatrix.)

I'm leaning more strongly towards Bellatrix being the helper, and 
the help being fairly limited at that.  (Though there's still the 
dramatic pull of an ESE!character waiting to suck me in. <g>)

Betsy Hp