After Voldemort hit Harry Potter with a 2nd Killing Curse, he asked Narcissa Malfoy to check if he was dead or not.
Narcissa chose to lie even when she knew Harry was alive, and she was taking a significant risk!
Here’s the main reason why she did, even if it could have meant an instant death for her.
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Why did Narcissa lie to Voldemort about Harry?
Narcissa lied to Voldemort so that she could find her beloved son, Draco, who was still in Hogwarts at that point in time. If she had told Voldemort that Harry was still alive, it could have prolonged the Second Wizarding War. As such, she lied to Voldemort to give her the opportunity to reunite with her son earlier.
One of the recurring themes over the range of the Harry Potter series was motherly love. From Lily Potter’s ultimate sacrifice to Molly’s Weasley protection of her child, mothers in Harry Potter tend to pass across one message. Their family and children came first.
How does this theme fit into Narcissa lying to Voldemort?
Narcissa loved her family and her son: Draco Malfoy. While she portrayed an ice-cold personality, she was ready to put anything on the line for her family. She first displayed her love for her son when Voldemort sent him on an ‘honourable mission’ to kill Albus Dumbledore.
While everyone saw the mission as an ultimate honour, Narcissa knew better.
She quickly swung into action, making an Unbreakable Vow with Snape to ensure the safety of Draco.
This act was probably the most emotional moment Narcissa displayed throughout the Harry Potter series. However, her most remarkable moment of display of love was yet to come.
After Voldemort hit Harry Potter with the Killing Curse, Narcissa took the opportunity to check if Harry was dead. When Voldemort asked her if Harry was alive, she declared him to be dead.
She only did this after confirming with Harry that Draco was inside the castle and was safe.
Something interesting to note: in the books, Voldemort commanded Narcissa to check if Harry was dead, while in the movies, she was the first one to rush to Harry after Voldemort was overwhelmed by the Killing Curse he had cast.
“You,” said Voldemort, and there was a bang and a small shriek of pain. “Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead.”
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Harry seemed like the winning team
After realising that Harry was still alive, even after facing the second Killing Curse, Narcissa may have started to question Voldemort’s ability to defeat this teen.
By putting her family first, she may have seen that the best way out was to side with Harry.
This was because to her, Harry had a higher chance of winning the war.
Furthermore, she must have realised that the Dark Lord’s reign would soon be over, so helping Harry would put her at an advantage.
It was due to this act that allowed her and her family to escape imprisonment in Azkaban!
If there’s one thing Narcissa has shown before, it’s her desire to shield her family from danger. This attribute turned out to be the Malfoys’ saving grace in the end.
Why did Narcissa ask Harry if Draco was alive?
Narcissa wanted to find out if Draco was still in the castle, to determine if she was able to reunite with her son or not. This was because the only way that she could get her son back was when the war was over.
By lying to Voldemort, Narcissa suspected that he would have gone back to Hogwarts to gloat about his victory.
This was how Narcissa could go back to Hogwarts, and get a chance to see her son again.
As such, she wanted to determine if her son was truly alive, before she took such a huge risk!
In the books, Narcissa and her husband were desperately trying to find Draco amidst the chaos.
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son.
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Meanwhile, in the movies, Narcissa and Lucius begged Draco to join the Death Eaters so that the Malfoys could be reunited again.
You may also notice once Harry was very well alive, the Malfoys were part of the group of Death Eaters that fled the scene.
You can find out more about why these Death Eaters ran away here.
Conclusion
Lying to Voldemort required enormous courage, and Narcissa definitely took a huge risk. However, her actions also show that motherly love supersedes most challenges.
In putting her family first, she inadvertently helped Harry win the war!
Furthermore, this also showed Voldemort’s ultimate weakness, where he underestimated how powerful a mother’s love truly is.
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