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Thursday, 8 January 2015

HPMOTW: Biggest betrayal in the series?

I decided to start the Harry Potter Moment of the Week hosted by uncorkedthoughts. Today's moment is biggest betrayal in the series. 


It's so hard to pick one betrayal and deem it as the biggest among all seven books. There's Peter Pettigrew that wriggling rat (pun totally intended) who betrayed James and Lily. And then there's Snape betraying Voldemort by being a double agent all along. Also, there's Harry naming his kid Albus Severus Potter. How could you betray me like that Harry? Naming your kid after the guy who bullied you for seven books, who ignored your cries and held your mother's dead body, Snape who was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy and tried to bargain your mother's live in exchange for her husband and child's lives. I can forgive you for Albus, but really Harry Potter, naming your kid after that Snape? I'm like 40% joking but I'm definitely not a Snape fan. Anyway, in the end I decided on what I think is the biggest betrayal in the series. 

In my opinion, the biggest betrayal in the series is when Narcissa betrays Voldemort at the end of the 7th book. Let me summarise what happened. Harry goes into the Forbidden Forest to give himself up. There he finds Hagrid tied up. Voldemort uses the killing curse on Harry and then we enter the chapter where Harry finds himself at King Cross Station with Dumbledore. The next thing Harry realises is Narcissa asking him if Draco is still alive. Harry confirms that he is and Narcissa lies to Voldemort that Harry is dead. 

Prior to that scene, my feelings on Narcissa were ambivalent. On one hand, she truly does believe that being pureblood makes her superior. On the other hand, other than turning up her nose at people she doesn't do much harm herself, none that I know of. But after betraying Voldemort, my opinion on Narcissa increased in the positive direction. Yes, she's still a raging racist and her love for her own son will never redeem her, in my eyes, for that flaw. But she lies to Voldemort -Voldemort, who is superb at Legilimency. She risked being found out just for a chance to see her son again. 

In addition, that lie indirectly caused Voldemort's death. 

So, yeah I think that has to be one of the biggest betrayal in the series.


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