Kreacher

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 180144

Colebiancardi summarized chapter 10
> <<  Narcissa and Bellatrix were probably lovely to Kreacher and
> he did them a favor.>>
> 
Catlady wrote:
> 
> > This has never quite worked for me. Why would Narcissa be kinder
to Kreachur than she was to Dobby? Why would Bellatrix, who is
Narcissa's sister who was raised with her, be any kinder to House
Elves than Narcissa is? <snip>

Susan responded:
> Well, I don't know. Tom Riddle was known for his ability to be
> charming and manipulative (to Hepzibah, Grey Lady, Dippet, etc.)
> -- it might definitely be something the DEs would do once they
> figured out that Kreacher might be useful to them.

Carol notes:
Forgive me for repeating myself, but Bellatrix was not present when
Kreacher was ordered "out!" of 12 GP by Sirius Black and went to
Sirius's cousin, Narcissa, "the only Black family member for whom he
had any respect left," as DD puts it (OoP Am. ed. 830). Granted,
Kreacher also respected, indeed adored, Miss Bellatrix, but she was in
Azkaban at the time.

Kreacher disappears just as Harry and the Weasleys arrive at 12 GP at
the beginning of the Christmas holiday (473) and reappears right after
Christmas, having ostensibly been hiding in the attic (516). Bellatrix
and her fellow DEs don't escape until the night of Harry's first
Occlumency lesson, which happen in the evening of his first day back
at Hogwarts (543-45).  

Evidently, either Hermione or JKR or both forgot that Bellatrix was
not present when Kreacher had his conversation with Miss Narcissa,
though very likely Lucius was. (Draco, BTW, would have been home for
the Christmas holiday, but I doubt that he was present or he'd have
dropped some snide hint to Harry.)

Carol, wishing that JKR would consult her own books to make sure that
they don't dontradict one another