The Malfoys' hidden room and willed Legilimency (Was: CHAPDISC: HBP16)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 152742

Alla wrote:
<snip> Okay, Arthur checked, but clearly not enough, if Harry turned
out to be completely and totally right. 
> 
Potioncat responded:
> Actually, Arthur checked. But the broken vanishing cabinet never was
at the Malfoy house. Lucius started getting rid of incriminating items
several years before, and, his house had been searched before. There 
really wasn't anything to find.(Or else it was very well hidden.) This
was a nice set-up. It made Draco look less guilty.

Carol adds:
Also, Harry forgets to tell Mr. Weasley that he heard Draco telling
"Crabbe" and "Goyle" (Polyjuiced!Harry and Ron) about a secret room in
the Malfoy manor (beneath the drawing room, IIRC). He merely says that
he thinks Mr. Weasley "missed something" (HBP Am. ed. 135). It's
possible that Dark artifacts are still hidden there (though not the
Vanishing Cabinet, of course), but I think a certain DE aunt of
Draco's is hiding there, too. Surely, the reference in CoS to that
room was planted there for a reason.

On another note, when did Draco get the Hand of Glory? He first saw it
in CoS but Lucius, who was selling rather than buying Dark artifacts
at that point, didn't buy it for him. Ron seems to think that Draco
had it already ("Remember that shriveled up arm Malfoy had?" HBP 130),
but I think this remark is a Flint as I don't recall Harry telling Ron
that Draco wanted the Hand of Glory and he (Ron) certainly hasn't seen
Draco with it. Nor is there any indication that he's buying anything
in "Draco's Detour." All of the conversation relates to the Vanishing
Cabinets. (Harry's(?) later remark, "He was buying something at the
same time," seems to be a misinterpretation/false explanation/red
herring since "How would I look carrying that down the street?"
relates to the B&B Vanishing Cabinet. I suppose it's possible that he
bought the H of G earlier, before the part of the conversation that
HRH overheard and left it with Borgin to be picked up by the DEs
before they entered Hogwarts, but the scene gives no indication that
he's done so. (I suppose that the Peruvian Darkness Powder could be
sneaked in under the radar of Filch's Secrecy Sensor as it isn't
actually "Dark"--disregarding puns).

On a completely unrelated note (because I don't want to use up a post
on this observation!), I think I may have run across an example of
Dumbledore communicating wordlessly through eye contact/willed
Legilimency, suggesting that he may have done so again with Snape on
the tower (and we also have Harry's attempt to will Snape to
understand his thought later in the same book, OoP). This one involves
Madam Bones near the end of Harry's hearing after Fudge has told him
that it's not up to him to decide what the MoM does or doesn't do:

"'Of course it isn't,' said Dumbledore mildly. 'I was merely
expressing my confidence that this matter will not go uninvestigated.'

"He glanced at Madam Bones, who readjusted her monocle and stared back
at him, frowning slightly" (OoP Am. ed. 147).

Of course, this small incident could simply be an example of people
who know each other fairly well communicating through an exchanged
glance as Muggles do (usually accompanied by a nudge, a wink, a raised
eyebrow, or rolling eyes), but given Madam Bones's intense scrutiny
here, indicated by her stare and her readjusted monocle, I suggest
that she's seeing something here beyond the usual "Did you catch
that?" or "yeah, right!" I think he's saying, "I trust that *you* will
look into it as I don't trust Fudge to do so" or something along those
lines.

At any rate, we know that Madam Bones is (was) a gifted witch (one
reason why LV would want her dead), so I would not be at all surprised
if she's a Legilimens to whom DD can send a secret, silent message
which appears to Harry to be nothing more than eye contact. I see no
reason for this moment (we already know that she's strict but fair, a
person of integrity who's not afraid to go against Fudge) unless it's
to foreshadow the same tactic of willed Legilimency, a silent message
passed from one Legilimens to another in the presence of the oblivious
Harry, which will be extremely important later in the series.

Carol, who probably should have made these points in separate posts
but expected the second one to be a minuscule P.S.