Narcissa Malfoy’s decision to betray Voldemort at the end of the bestsellingHarry Potterseries has been the cause of much debate among fans. There are many who believeNarcissa’s decision to lie to Voldemort about Harry’s deathdidn’t make sense, or was a surprising choice for her character to make. While this may seem confusing when observed separately from the entire narrative, it makes much more sense when taking into account her actions in previous novels — and Narcissa’s betrayal was hinted at inHarry Potter and theDeathly Hallowstwo years prior.
Narcissa’s ultimate decision to betray Voldemort in the finalHarry Potternovel can be traced back to her storyline introduced at the beginning ofHalf Blood Prince. Being a Death Eater, many would have expected Narcissa to be loyal to Voldemort under any circumstance, but her actions in thesixthHarry Potternovel— in which she plans to inform Snape of Draco’s task. While the foreshadowing was subtle,Half-Blood Princedefinitely helps to validate her actions at the end of theHarry Potterseries.
Narcissa Malfoy’s Betrayal Of Voldemort Isn’t Surprising After Half-Blood Prince’s Opening
She’s Willing To Openly Betray Him If It Means Saving Draco
During chapter two ofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Narcissa and Bellatrix go to visit Severus Snape. It’s at this pivotal moment that Narcissa makes her first decision to betray Voldemort, asshe intends to enlighten Snape of Draco’s circumstances, and his assignment to kill Dumbledore — even against Voldemort’s instruction. As Snape is aware of Draco’s mission, Narcissa never truly betrayed Voldemort in the sixth novel, but her intentions to do so make it clear she would have if it meant saving her son.
“The Dark Lord has forbidden me to speak of it,” Narcissa continued, her eyes still closed. “He wishes none to know of the plan. It is … very secret. But—”
“If he has forbidden it, you ought not to speak,” said Snape at once. “The Dark Lord’s word is law.”
— Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter Two
This should have been the first indicator to readers that Narcissa would do anything in her power to protect Draco, and it basically plants the seeds of her disloyalty at theend ofDeathly Hallows. When Narcissa discovers Harry has once again survived, she cares only to know of Draco’s survival. At this point, she understands Voldemort will be defeated, and, as before inHalf-Blood Prince, shows loyalty first to her family.Her actions in the earlier novel clearly foreshadowed her betrayal, so it should come as no surprise that she chooses to lie to Voldemort in the end.
The Harry Potter Books Confirmed Narcissa’s True Loyalty, 2 Years Before Deathly Hallows
She Would Choose Her Family Over Voldemort Every Time
Not only did the early scene inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeforeshadow her future betrayal, but it confirmed where her true loyalties lied — and it wasn’t to Voldemort. Most Death Eaters in the world ofHarry Potterwould do anything to serve the Dark Lord, and Narcissa’s actions prove otherwise. Bellatrix tries to explain that Draco should be honored to have been chosen by Voldemort for the task, but Narcissa doesn’t believe the same. Instead,the choice to beg Snape for his help in protecting Draco ultimately shows her loyalty is first to her family.
His decision to punish the Malfoys' failure by putting Draco in harms way hindered more than helped him.
The goal was to paint a picture of those in Voldermort’s ranks who didn’t necessarily believe in every decision he made, and his decision to punish the Malfoys' failure by putting Draco in harm’s way hindered more than helped him. From this point on,Narcissa’s loyalties changed, and her goal going forward was to protect Draco at all costs. While the Malfoy’s do fight with Voldemort at the end ofDeathly Hallows, it’s clear they follow him out of fear and not loyalty.
Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince Set Up Multiple Death Eater Betrayals In Plain Sight
Narcissa Is Not The Only Death Eater Who Betrays Voldemort
While Narcissa’s betrayal does play a huge part in Harry’s defeat of Voldemort and the end ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she wasn’t the only Death Eater who helped orchestrate his demise. Severus Snape is one ofHarry Potter’s most complex characters, andthe multiple plot twists tied to his character throughout the series make his redemption and betrayal of Voldemort all the more impactful. We learn inDeathly Hallowsthat Snape, while once a Death Eater, turned spy for Dumbledore to defeat the Dark Lord after he killed his one true love, Lily Potter.
Harry Potter: Every Clue That Snape Wasn’t A Villain
Severus Snape turned out to not be the villain everyone believed, and there were clues to this throughout the Harry Potter saga.
There are so many moments throughout the entireHarry Potterseries used to throw readers off in regard to Snape’s true motives, and it all comes full circle after his death. While Snape definitely wasn’t Harry’s biggest fan, there were many ways he helped him to survive over the years, including counteracting Quirell’s jinx, protecting Harry from Lupin as a werewolf, and sending his patronus to lead Harry to the sword of Gryffindor, among many others. It was clever to hide the true motives behind Snape’s actions, but in hindsight, it’s obvious everything he did was in betrayal of Voldemort.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
