6

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort believes he has killed Harry, and gets Narcissa to verify that. Taking quotes from this post:

‘Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?’

The whisper was barely audible; her lips were an inch from his ear, her head bent so low that her long hair shielded his face from the onlookers.

‘Yes,’ he breathed back.

and:

Still feigning death on the ground, he understood. Narcissa knew that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. She no longer cared whether Voldemort won.

Deathly Hallows - Chapter 36 - The Flaw In the Plan

From the quote, it seems that Harry understood what Narcissa wanted after he revealed Draco was still alive.

How could Harry have trusted her beforehand to not reveal to Voldemort that he was still alive?

Community
  • 1
user35594
  • 11,237
  • 16
  • 60
  • 113
  • 3
    From the moment Narcissa asked if Draco was alive he knows what she wants no? At least he could have known. That does not change after answering does it? Or am I missing something? – Don_Biglia Dec 04 '15 at 07:49

2 Answers2

34

Harry didn't have a choice of whether to trust her or not. He couldn't have prevented her from telling that he's alive without revealing he's alive anyway.

Harry did not know who had been sent to verify. He could only lie there, with his heart thumping traitorously, and wait to be examined, but at the same time knowing, small comfort though it was, that Voldemort was wary of approaching him, that Voldemort suspected that all had not gone to plan…

Rand al'Thor
  • 134,408
  • 65
  • 607
  • 854
DVK-on-Ahch-To
  • 342,451
  • 162
  • 1,520
  • 2,066
5

I think he trusted her because she IS Draco's mother, and Harry most likely knew that any caring mother would move mountains (or in this case lie directly to the most evil villain in the history of the wizarding world's face) for the safety of their child.

Obsidia
  • 105,547
  • 18
  • 451
  • 493
hailey
  • 51
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
    No, he really didn't have a choice whether to trust Narcissa, since any action he could take would reveal him as alive. The choice was entirely Narcissa's to make, Harry could do nothing but wait. – Obsidia Aug 07 '17 at 16:57
  • @Bellatrix That was my first thought too. But that doesn't mean he couldn't have been more at comfort with it being Narcissa than say, well, you or one of the other Death Eaters. And she would have been able to pick up on the signs of life even if she had to listen carefully or feel for his pulse. So it's true that Narcissa was the one who saved him there I suspect strongly he trusted her more than anyone else: I imagine she was the only one who wouldn't have given Harry up. Perhaps dear Lucius but I'm more sceptical on him in that part. I also wonder what would happen if Draco had died. – Pryftan Aug 07 '17 at 17:12
  • 1
    @Pryftan Yes, I expect he would have been more comfortable with Narcissa than another Death Eater, and she likely would have been the only one to spare Harry. I certainly wouldn't have! – Obsidia Aug 07 '17 at 17:26
  • @Bellatrix I just saw my comment from last year and I didn't mention you so I've copied it here and deleting the other comment; it's in reply to your comment about you wouldn't have spared Harry: I'm glad to hear it! But of course your dear Lord didn't need anyone's help (though ironically by demanding Narcissa to check on Harry he's technically getting help - and in this case fatal help). – Pryftan Aug 08 '18 at 02:10