Narcissa Malfoy (Black)
Origin: Harry Potter
Hair:
Eyes:
Species: Human
Birthday:
Parents: Cygnus & Druella Black (not imported)
Siblings: Andromeda
Partner(s): Lucius Malfoy
Child: Draco Malfoy
Grandchild: Scorpius Malfoy
Residence: Patton Street 20 (12-95)
Occupation:
Affiliation:
Talent: Magic
Medical notes:
Sports/Instruments:
Languages:
Import Date: 10
Narcissa "Cissy" Malfoy (née Black) (b. 1955) was a British pure-blood[2] witch, the youngest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black (née Rosier), younger sister of Bellatrix Lestrange and Andromeda Tonks, wife of Lucius Malfoy, mother of Draco Malfoy, and the grandmother of Scorpius Malfoy.
Although never officially a Death Eater herself, Narcissa believed in the importance of blood purity and supported her husband in following Lord Voldemort during the First and Second Wizarding Wars.[16] This changed, however, when her husband was incarcerated in Azkaban and her son's life was put in jeopardy by Voldemort.
Narcissa took necessary measures to protect her family, including lying to Voldemort about Harry Potter being dead during the Battle of Hogwarts, an act which saved the Malfoys from serving time in Azkaban following the Dark Lord's defeat.[16]
Narcissa survived the final battle of the Second Wizarding War and later had a grandson, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, through her son's marriage to Astoria Greengrass. However, Narcissa was not too fond of Astoria for her stance on blood tolerance, believing her to be somewhat of a disappointment to the Malfoy lineage.
Narcissa Black was the youngest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black (née Rosier), born in 1955 in the aristocratic House of Black. She had two older sisters, Bellatrix and Andromeda.[17] Narcissa was taught the philosophy of blood purity from a young age and grew up prejudiced in favour of pure-bloods.[13] Thus, like her sister Bellatrix, she cut off contact with her sister Andromeda after she was disowned and burned off the Black family tree for marrying Muggle-born wizard Ted Tonks.[15]
Narcissa was educated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from c. 1966-1973. Sorted into Slytherin House, she met her future husband, Lucius Malfoy, whilst at Hogwarts.[12] It is possible that Narcissa met Severus Snape and other future Death Eaters at Hogwarts, thanks in no small part to Lucius, who has been friends with them ever since.
It is also likely that she was aware of the wanderings of the Marauders, the same group to which her first cousin, Sirius Black, belonged, although due to her lack of esteem for him, in part because she considered him a "blood traitor" in her family, it is almost certain that she interacted little or not at all with him, just like her older sister.
Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy, who was just as wealthy and pure-blood inclined as the Black family Narcissa descended from, between 1972 and September 1979.[18] Together, they lived a life of privilege and luxury at Malfoy Manor, located in the southern English county of Wiltshire.[15] Her husband introduced Narcissa to the lifestyle of the Death Eaters, though she never became a Death Eater herself. The couple had one son, named Draco Lucius. In naming Draco, Narcissa continued her family tradition of naming children after stars and constellations, like her sisters (Andromeda and Bellatrix).
Narcissa's cousin Regulus Black was killed in the First Wizarding War, while her other cousin Sirius and sister Bellatrix were both sentenced to Azkaban after Voldemort's fall in 1981.[13] Lucius was able to avoid a similar fate by falsely claiming that he had been under the effects of the Imperius Curse,[19][20] and the Malfoys remained members of the social elite, enjoying close relationships with Ministry of Magic officials such as Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge[20][21] and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic Dolores Umbridge.[22] In privacy, however, they regretted the downfall of Voldemort as they saw the purification of the wizarding race to have failed completely, regrets that they told their son not to reveal, lest it would bring their family trouble.
When the time came for Draco Malfoy to begin school in 1991, Lucius Malfoy wanted him to attend Durmstrang Institute, which only admitted pure-blood and half-blood students and taught the Dark Arts, which closely mirrored the Malfoy family beliefs. Narcissa, however, insisted that Draco attend Hogwarts instead so he would be closer to home, as Durmstrang was located in northern Europe and Hogwarts was in Britain, where they lived.[23] She was very devoted to Draco, sending him sweets and cakes by owl every day during his first year at Hogwarts.[24][25]
Narcissa attended the 1994 Quidditch World Cup in August 1994 with her husband and son, watching the game from Fudge's luxury box.[3] It is possible that Narcissa, along with her husband and his fellow Death Eaters, participated in the torture of the Muggle Roberts family at the Quidditch World Cup Campsite during the Death Eater riot which occurred after the match had ended.[26]
In 1996, her sister and brother-in-law escaped Azkaban. That same year, Lucius participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in an attempt to acquire a prophecy for Lord Voldemort, who had returned to power the previous year.[27] Narcissa provided Voldemort with the information he needed to get Harry there after she gained it from Kreacher the House Elf, who gave it to her both because she was a Black by birth and because she treated the attention starved house elf more kindly than her cousin Sirius Black, the elf's current master, did.[14]
The effort was thwarted by six D.A. members and members of the Order of the Phoenix.[27] Voldemort was furious with Lucius, who had led the effort, both for failing to obtain the prophecy and for the consequences of that night,[4] which included the Dark Lord's return being formally recognised by the Ministry of Magic[28] and many of his Death Eaters being sent to Azkaban, including Lucius himself.[29]
Though her sister Bellatrix managed to escape imprisonment, Narcissa was distraught over her husband's incarceration, as well as Voldemort's subsequent treatment of her family. That summer, she ventured to Severus Snape's home at Spinner's End, accompanied by Bellatrix, to discuss Voldemort's orders for Draco to murder Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.[4]
Narcissa was hysterical and theorised that Draco was being sent on a suicide mission to punish Lucius for his numerous failures. Despite the pleading of her sister to the contrary, Narcissa brushed off Bellatrix scoffing when Narcissa claimed that "the Dark Lord [was] mistaken," and begged Severus to make an Unbreakable Vow, which ensured that he would watch over Draco during his efforts. She also made him vow to execute the plan himself, should Draco fail to do so.[4]
Later that month, Narcissa went shopping for school supplies with Draco at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where she had a heated confrontation with Harry Potter and his friends. He taunted her about Lucius's imprisonment, and she responded by coldly alluding to the recent death of his godfather, after which she haughtily departed with her son to Twilfitt and Tattings, as she did not wish to shop at Madam Malkin's anymore.[30]
Throughout the school year, Draco enacted a series of unsuccessful attempts to kill Dumbledore, which eventually resulted in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and Snape's fulfilment of his vow to Narcissa.[31]
Lucius, Narcissa, and her sister Bellatrix talking to Lord Voldemort during the Meeting at Malfoy Manor
By 1997, Malfoy Manor was being used as a headquarters for Voldemort. A meeting of Lord Voldemort's inner circle was held there, and the murder of Charity Burbage took place in the drawing room. The Malfoys were extremely uncomfortable with the arrangements, despite their claims that nothing would please them more than to host the Dark Lord. After Lord Voldemort asked for a borrowed wand, Narcissa touched her husband's hand, when he showed fear at the sign of giving away his only weapon and means of defence, resulting in her husband into agreeing to give his wand to Voldemort; it was soon broken in the Battle of the Seven Potters.[15]
Voldemort was still displeased with the Malfoys for Lucius's earlier failures and delighted in humiliating them by taunting their relation to werewolf Remus Lupin through Narcissa's niece, Nymphadora Tonks.[15]
When Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were caught by a group of Snatchers led by Greyback, they were brought to Malfoy Manor. Narcissa acted coldly and disdainfully towards Scabior but let them in, where she called on her son to identify the prisoners and recognised Hermione from their encounter a year earlier in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.[10]
Narcissa clashed with her sister over who had authority in her home, and therefore over the prisoners held in her cellar: Harry, Ron, Dean Thomas, Griphook, Garrick Ollivander, and Luna Lovegood, the latter two of which had been held there for some time. All the prisoners escaped: Dean, Luna and Ollivander Disapparating with Dobby, while Harry and Ron went to save Hermione from Narcissa's sister, Bellatrix, who had used the Cruciatus Curse to brutally torture her with. Later, in the brief duel that followed, Narcissa was shocked to see her family's former house-elf, Dobby, openly defying them. He was eventually murdered by Bellatrix as the group escaped the manor.[10]
After Harry and his friends escaped to Shell Cottage, Lord Voldemort severely punished the Malfoy family, but did not act as harsh on Bellatrix.[32] By the time of the Battle of Hogwarts, Narcissa had given her son, Draco, her wand to use in lieu of his own stolen wand, leaving both herself and her husband without their original wands, although the two later obtained second wands by the time of the battle.[33] She was also present when Lord Voldemort interrogated and murdered goblins in a fit of anger after learning of Harry Potter's Gringotts break-in and theft of one of his Horcruxes.[34][11]
During the final phase of the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort attempted to kill Harry Potter in the Forbidden Forest using the Killing Curse. Voldemort demanded that someone check to see if Harry was, in fact, dead, a deed no one wanted to perform. Perhaps seeing an opportunity to discover her son's current condition, Narcissa volunteered. Seeing that Harry was still alive, she used the opportunity to covertly ask Harry if he knew of Draco's well-being. In a whisper, she asked if Draco was alive. When Harry replied quietly that he was, Narcissa betrayed the Dark Lord and asserted that Harry was dead, which she most likely would not have done had Harry responded "no". However, at that moment she was willing to risk it all for her family. She knew the only way her family would be reunited was as part of Voldemort's conquering army, thus proving she loved her family more than she supported Voldemort, who by that point, witnessing the horrors he had brought upon her and her family, most likely wished death.[35]
When the battle recommenced, Narcissa and Lucius abandoned the Death Eaters and searched frantically for Draco. The family was present for Bellatrix's death at the hands of Molly Weasley and for Harry Potter's final defeat of Lord Voldemort, thus ending the Second Wizarding War. After the battle, the family was reunited in the Great Hall, where they seemed uncomfortable with their predicament, but did not leave.[35]
Later life
However, as Narcissa betrayed Voldemort and left him, the entire Malfoy family was granted a reprieve and avoided incarceration in Azkaban.[16] Narcissa would eventually become a grandmother to Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco and his wife Astoria Greengrass.
Physical description
Narcissa Malfoy was described as tall, slim, "nice looking", and very pale, with blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a clear, cold voice.[6][7][8][3] Her hair colouring thus differed from most of the House of Black, who generally had dark hair, though Narcissa did possess the arrogant good looks that were a common characteristic of her family. Despite her physical differences to her sisters, Bellatrix and Andromeda, Harry Potter did describe her as resembling Bellatrix somewhat, though Narcissa was as fair as Bellatrix was dark.
Narcissa's beauty was somewhat marred by her donning an expression that suggested that she was sniffing dung whenever she was in the company of those she considered her inferiors.[3] Harry Potter once insulted her son Draco by asking if she only had this expression when Draco was with her.[25]
Personality and traits
Narcissa was a very proud woman who frequently displayed a haughty and disdainful attitude, looking down upon others as she believed strongly in the importance of blood purity and valued her family's wealth.[3][30] She was prejudiced towards Muggle-borns, other non-pure-bloods such as Fenrir Greyback,[10] and so-called "blood traitors".[30] For example, she once rudely exclaimed to the owner of Madam Malkin's that she would rather shop at Twilfitt and Tatting's instead since Madam Malkin's served "scum" such as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.[30] Despite her beliefs and her family's close ties to Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Narcissa never joined the organisation herself, nor received the Dark Mark.
While she treated most people coldly,[30] Narcissa was very loving towards her family as well as devoted to them.[4] She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her son safe when he was put in danger during the Second Wizarding War, from begging Severus Snape to take an Unbreakable Vow to help him[4] to lying to Voldemort himself.[35] She cared deeply about her husband and son and displayed a fierce and protective temper on their behalf, as well as a ruthless determination to keep them safe.[4][35] She went as far as to risk her life for Draco's sake, by saying to Voldemort that Harry was dead, when had Harry responded with a negative response, she most likely would've told the truth, to keep herself safe. Her devotion to her son was such that she insisted on his attending Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang, despite the latter's reputation for blood purity amongst its students, solely for the sake of keeping him closer to home.[23]
Narcissa had a close relationship with her oldest sister Bellatrix despite their differing temperaments and personality traits.[4] Narcissa always despised the Blacks, but had great respect for those who did. The ones who dared to defy their family's beliefs, such as her older sister Andromeda and cousin Sirius Black, leading her to ignore and disown them.[15]
Magical abilities and skills
Love: Narcissa loved her husband and son dearly, and was willing to do anything to protect them, such as securing an Unbreakable Vow with Severus Snape, to ensure that Draco had some form of protection.[4] Narcissa's love also drove her to lie to Voldemort himself, which was instrumental both for locating Draco, and for Voldemort's final defeat at the hands of Harry Potter. This also indirectly ensured Harry was protected again by a mother's love. During the final battle, she did not attempt to participate in the fight, but searched everywhere for her son along with her husband until they eventually found him.[35]
Dark Arts: Narcissa was described as being a practising Dark witch by her former house-elf Dobby, who was known for telling the truth.[36] Her Black family background and association with the Death Eaters, also very strongly added to her connection with Dark magic.[13]
Apparition: Narcissa appeared to be a mistress of Apparition, perhaps even more skilled than Bellatrix. This was demonstrated when they both apparated into Spinner's End, with Narcissa making only a slight "popping" sound and Bellatrix's pop being somewhat louder.[4] With Apparition, it was generally considered that the quieter the 'pop', the more skilled at Apparition that wizard or witch is, although Bellatrix may simply have been too desperate in chasing Narcissa to do it more quietly.
Duelling: Though not as powerful as her prodigious sister, Narcissa was a proficient duelist in her own right. She seemed confident in her ability to duel the likes of both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley when they threatened to attack her son Draco in Madam Malkin's,[30] although she most likely would've lost against wizards, who although young, had defied the likes of Voldemort several times and would not hesitate to use nastier spells to defend themselves, and she later duelled them during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor by firing various offensive spells at them, managing to successfully stand her ground against them.[10] She was actually one of the very few who were unafraid to stand up to Bellatrix: she once used magic to repel her sister to such extent that Bellatrix, who was grasping Narcissa's hand, "let go of her sister's hand as though burned".[10] It is also possible that she took part in the first part of the Battle of Hogwarts.
Occlumency (possibly): Though it was never confirmed, it was still implied that Narcissa was probably a skilful Occlumens, due to her ability to effectively lie to Voldemort himself, who was believed to be the most accomplished Legilimens of his time.[35] However, it should be noted that Voldemort might not have been using Legilimency when Narcissa lied about Harry's death. Furthermore, the fact that it was her sister who taught Draco Occlumency must also be taken into consideration.
Possessions
First wand: Narcissa owned a wand, which was of an unknown length, wand wood and wand core.[10] She gave her wand to her son Draco after his own wand was stolen by Harry Potter during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor.[33]
Second wand: Narcissa owned a second wand that she used during the Battle of Hogwarts, which was also of unknown specifics.[11]
Earrings: By 1996, Narcissa owned and wore elegant earrings in the form of spiders.[37][38][11]
Relationships
Family
Lucius Malfoy
Narcissa and her husband, Lucius Malfoy, were shown to have an affectionate and loving relationship.[4][15] He gave in to her wishes when she wanted their son to attend Hogwarts, rather than Durmstrang.[23] Lucius also allowed his wife to continue the Black Family naming custom of stars and constellations through their son, showing obvious respect for her family and deference to herself. Narcissa and Lucius both enjoyed being members of the social elite, and loved and spoiled their only child. Unlike Bellatrix, who did not hold love for her husband, Narcissa truly loved Lucius.[4]
Narcissa was very upset when he was briefly imprisoned in Azkaban and became defensive when others mentioned his failures.[4] In 1997, when Lord Voldemort took over their home and demanded that Lucius give him his wand, Lucius looked to his wife in disapproval, and only when she touched his wrist did he turn it over.[15]
Draco Malfoy
Narcissa was terrified to the point of hysteria when Draco was ordered by Lord Voldemort to kill Albus Dumbledore. Narcissa suspected that Voldemort meant him to fail as punishment for her husband's failure in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. To help him, Narcissa went to Severus Snape and begged for his assistance, whereupon she asked of him to make the Unbreakable Vow in which he promised to take over Draco's task if he failed.[4] Later on in the war, she tried to shelter Draco as much as possible. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Narcissa lied to the Dark Lord about Harry Potter's death so she and Lucius would be able to search for Draco in the castle.[35] Draco, in turn, held his mother in great esteem, and became extremely angry if anyone insulted her.[25][30]
Astoria Greengrass
Narcissa and her husband Lucius did not think highly of her, as she raised their grandson Scorpius to have a more tolerant view on Muggles (and likely Muggle-borns, half-bloods, Squibs or even non-human magical creatures).
Because of this, family gatherings were often fraught with tension. It is likely they see Astoria as a blood traitor because of this. Her relationship with Scorpius is unknown.
Narcissa appeared to have a fairly affectionate and close relationship with her older sister Bellatrix. The two fondly called each other by their nicknames of "Cissy" and "Bella". Bellatrix accompanied Narcissa to see Snape at Spinner's End, in spite of her distrust for Severus Snape and belief that they should not discuss the task Voldemort assigned in secret.[4]
Narcissa was also one of the only people who was able to question Bellatrix's authority without unleashing Bellatrix's anger.[4][10] The two sometimes clashed over Draco, as Narcissa was concerned about his welfare, while Bellatrix coldly stated her belief that he was doing his duty by serving Voldemort and that Narcissa should be proud.[4]
It is not known whether Narcissa knew about Bellatrix's daughter from Voldemort, but Delphini was born at the Malfoy Manor. If Narcissa did know, then it is possible that she continued to keep this a secret for many years to come to protect not only her niece but also her own family from any public reaction to the idea that the Dark Lord had a child and this child was born at the Malfoys' home.
Narcissa's relationship with her other late cousin, Regulus Black, Sirius's younger brother, is unknown, though judging by Regulus's inclination towards the pure-blood supremacist ideals of the Blacks, which led him to follow Lord Voldemort and become one of his Death Eaters, the same circle to which her husband belonged, it is likely that she and he had a good relationship and maintained contact, or at least held him in higher esteem than Sirius, who earned his family's repudiation for his rejection of their ideals. It is unknown whether she knew of her cousin's betrayal to the Dark Lord in an attempt to keep the life of his house elf, Kreacher, safe, but if so, it is likely that she regretted the event, rather than being outraged at the lack of loyalty to Voldemort that Regulus may have expressed to him at the end. The confidences between Kreacher, Regulus' house elf, with her and Bellatrix, could also be an indicator of the good relationship she may have had with his late master, beyond a simple response to the good treatment he may have received from the two of them, which led him to betray Sirius, in revenge for the mistreatment he had dealt with on his part, and was instrumental in his death.
Andromeda Tonks and Sirius Black
Narcissa did not hold her late cousin Sirius Black or her older sister, Andromeda Tonks, in high regard, presumably because they were both "blood traitors" who were disowned by the Black family. Bellatrix claimed that she and Narcissa had not seen Andromeda since she married Muggle-born wizard Ted Tonks, which would have occurred in the early 1970s.[15] Narcissa also mercilessly threw Sirius's death in Harry Potter's face when he taunted her about Lucius's imprisonment in 1996.[30] For his part, Sirius held his cousin in contempt for her prejudiced beliefs.[13] Since Narcissa broke all ties with her sister Andromeda, she most likely didn't care either for her niece, Nymphadora Tonks, and didn't consider her to be a part of the family.
Harry Potter
When Voldemort "killed" Harry in the Forbidden Forest, she asked him whether Draco was still alive, as she knew that the only way she and Lucius could search for Draco inside Hogwarts would be as part of Voldemort's victorious army. Though she disliked Harry, she placed her family's welfare over Voldemort's goals. On confirming Draco's very much alive status, she plainly lied that Harry Potter was "dead". This action of hers was both very crucial and important, not only for Harry's survival but for Voldemort's final defeat as well, thus ensuring Harry was again protected by a mother's love, although indirectly.[35] Since Draco had made peace with Harry after this, Narcissa probably just chose to leave Harry in peace.
Severus Snape
Like Draco, Narcissa held Severus Snape in high esteem and trusted him due to him being an old friend of Lucius's since time at Hogwarts. Unlike her son, she continued to invest her faith in him despite Lucius's imprisonment and Bellatrix Lestrange, her older sister, voicing doubts about him. When Draco was made a Death Eater and ordered to kill Albus Dumbledore as his first mission by Voldemort, Narcissa saw this suicide mission for what it was and went to Snape, who also knew Draco was being set up to fail, for help and got him to make an Unbreakable Vow to watch over Draco and take over if it seemed he would fail.[4]
How she reacted to Snape being a double agent is unknown but it can be assumed she was sympathetic since she and Lucius had ceased to be loyal to Voldemort for similar reasons and the fact that he was the one who convinced Voldemort to free her husband from Azkaban and was the only Death Eater who continued to treat Lucius with respect after his loss of favour, something even her older sister didn't do.
Kreacher
Like most of the Blacks except Sirius, Narcissa was held in high esteem by Kreacher the House Elf. She in turn treated the attention starved house elf more kindly than her cousin did. This enabled her to learn about Harry's love for Sirius Black. Thus she was able to provide intel to Voldemort that led to the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[14] That battle caused many tragedies for Harry and the Malfoys: It led to the death of Sirius Black and Lucius's imprisonment and further loss of favour, which in turn led to Voldemort making Draco a Death Eater. It is unknown how Narcissa reacted to Kreacher accepting Harry as his master, if she ever learned of it, but she was probably sympathetic due to the fact she and her family, like her cousin Regulus Black, regretted being loyal to Voldemort.