Friday, April 19, 2013

Narcissa Malfoy (Extra Credit Blog)


The development of the character of Narcissa Malfoy into one that defies Lord Voldemort is perhaps one of the most surprising of the series. While she is never revealed as actually being a Death Eater, and did not appear in the graveyard of Little Hangleton in Goblet of Fire when Voldemort recalled his followers, she is certainly supportive of her husband and sister in the fight for their ancient family beliefs in Pure Blood dominance.

We see little of her until Half-Blood Prince, which is when her true loyalties begin to show. She defies Voldemort for the first time by asking Snape to protect Draco, even though the Dark Lord had forbidden that she speak of the plan, that Draco is to kill Dumbledore, to anyone. Although it is to her benefit that Snape was aware of the plan, and she was not going against Voldemort’s orders after all. In Deathly Hallows Narcissa defies Voldemort again when she lies to him and declares that Harry Potter is dead. "She no longer cared whether Voldemort won" (726; ch. 36).
 

Narcissa Malfoy is first and foremost, a mother that loves her child and will do anything to protect him. She took an enormous risk in betraying Voldemort which most certainly would have cost her her life. Thus reinforcing the major theme of the Harry Potter series, and echoing the maxim of Albus Dumbledore, that love is the greatest force of all and one would risk death in order to protect and defend those in which they love.
 

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