Narcissa Malfoy - more speculations
I wonder if it’s struck many people quite how scary Narcissa is in Chapter Two of “Half Blood Prince.” Don’t be fooled by her “tear-stained face.” Fiercely protective as she is of Draco, and of Lucius too, there is a genuine steel in her. She’s capable of hexing (and silencing) Bellatrix. And Bellatrix never uses more than words to attempt to stop her, even though she believes that Narcissa’s actions are a betrayal of their master. The way Narcissa trapped Snape into an Unbreakable Bow, once he’d made a vague offer of help to Draco, and then trapped him in that very last vow to finish the job - the one that would finally commit him to killing Dumbledore - was very smoothly done, regardless of whether he had intended to be trapped - or had talked it over with Dumbledore. The way she set about it suggests cunning, subtlety, and some real knowledge of Snape’s character, and considerable ability to act. And it’s like her, too, I think, to keep in the background. This is the woman who, for all Lucius’ political intrigues and respectable front (as a Governor of Hogwarts) had never met Cornelius Fudge, until they were introduced at the Quidditch World Cup. And as I’ve said before, I suspect the subtle nature of the Chamber of Secrets plot, whereby everything was done through intermediaries so that nothing could point back to the Malfoys, was probably Narcissa’s doing. Lucius’ style is to be more “up front.” Lucius didn’t hesitate to show his face at Hogwarts, and take on Dumbledore in his own den.
Springing the Unbreakable Vow on Snape is very suggestive, to my way of thinking. Does it mean that maybe (despite appearances) she didn’t really trust Snape that much more than Bellatrix? An assurance in words was “not” enough.
I still haven’t completely dropped all my old suspicions about Narcissa. That she really was in the crowd at Flourish and Botts in Chamber of Secrets, making sure Arthur Weasley rose to Lucius’ bait; that she “was” up to something at the Quidditch World Cup; and that she “did” turn up as Griselda Marchbanks to oversee the taking out of Harry’s allies - though that last theory is weakened a bit by the fact that there’s been no report since of anything happening to Griselda.
And I’m starting to wonder if she really was “Tonks” in the “Half Blood Prince.” We’re told that Metamorphmagi are born, not made; but if magical gifts do run in families, I suspect it’s not unlikely that they can crop up now and again in the Black family - though if Narcissa is one, I would imagine she guards that secret “very” closely. And a lot of things about “Tonks” would make sense if she were someone else - and especially if she were Narcissa. Alternative explanations have been provided for her new difficulty in metamorphing, for her sudden lack of clumsiness, and (indeed) for her sudden change in Patronus, but I do find it very suggestive that (when Harry had Draco trapped in the Room of Requirement) it was Tonks’ mysterious reappearance that enabled Draco to get away. The excuse was a lame one, for Tonks, as the seventh floor “was” an odd place to find Dumbledore - but it really would make sense for a protective mother like Narcissa to find a surreptitious way to help her only son Draco herself - and “Tonks” being posted to Hogsmeade meant that she was in the “ideal” place to be able to help him! What was she teaching him in there? Draco seemingly has learned a lot this last year - occlumency and wordless spells (the very things Harry “didn’t” learn) - but maybe he’s learned some other things too.
And was it really an accident that it was “Tonks” that found Harry in the train, hidden underneath his invisibility cloak? Or did Draco tell his mother? When she came back to the castle, she “was” rather taken aback that it was “Snape” who came to the gate, and who saw her changed Patronus - and commented on it accordingly.
And was Lupin being dosed too, all year, with the love potion of the first potions class? Draco made liberal use of the polyjuice, but did someone else make use of the “love” potion? Slughorn did say that it was the most powerful of the three potions brewing in the class! But Remus (in resisting the pull of being a werewolf) knew how to resist an obsession, and so he “did” resist, all year? It’s just, just possible!
And was it really Bellatrix (as Draco thought) that taught Draco to block out Snape’s thoughts, and encouraged him to distrust Snape (after six years of trusting him, whereas he didn’t know Bellatrix at all?) Or was it his “mother” who encouraged him to keep his mind closed, and to pull off, as much as he could of the plan by himself? Draco was absolutely livid the one time Harry criticised his mother. I think he does defer to her.
If there were a substitution, I’d guess it took place in St Mungo’s Hospital, right after OOTP. The massive charitable donations that Lucius Malfoy made to the place probably gave the Malfoys a lot of pull there, and people working there who owed them favours, or were actually under their control - which was useful in murdering Broderick Bode.
Of course, I’m probably just being “much” too suspicious. I really do have a penchant for complicated conspiracy theories! I’ll try and sort out these ideas later, and see if they make sense. Probably I’m overdoing my suspicions!
Anyway, I’ll try and revise my Patronage Essay soon, in the light of Half-Blood Prince. I’m especially intrigued that “Dumbledore’s” patronage network not only didn’t die when Dumbledore died, but survived with Dumbledore still in charge of it, still ruling it from the tomb! Harry is still “Dumbledore’s man, through and through,” even when Dumbledore is dead, and Dumbledore’s network are still committed to doing what Dumbledore would want them to do!
-----
Oh, one more possible explanation. Isn't the peculiar tired look common to both Draco and Tonks at all like how Hermione was, during the year when she was using the Time Turner - or am I remembering it wrong? Of course, all the "Ministry's" collection of Time Turners were destroyed in the battle in the Department of Mysteries.