Narcissa Malfoy

Narcissa Malfoy

Alias: Called "Cissy" by her sister, Bellatrix Black Lestrange.

Age: Late 30s or early 40s.

House: Slytherin.

Special Abilities: Very little is known about Narcissa Malfoy. As a Death Eater, she is most likely skilled in the Dark Arts. Any other special abilities are yet to be made apparent.

Distinguishing characteristics: Narcissa Malfoy is a tall, thin woman with long blonde hair and a pale complexion. While she is not unattractive, the constant look of disgust on her face detracts from her otherwise comely features. As wealthy and arrogant as the rest of her family, the word "snobby" fits Narcissa all too well.

Heritage: Pureblood.

Family: Narcissa is the sister of Bellatrix (Black) Lestrange and Andromeda (Black) Tonks. She is the cousin of Sirius and Regulus Black and the maternal aunt of Nymphadora Tonks. Unlike her sister Andromeda, Narcissa made a "lovely, respectable pure-blood marriage when she became the wife of Lucius Malfoy" (OotP, p 113). As such, her name is still proudly displayed on the Black Family Tapestry, from which many other names have been removed. In 1980, Narcissa gave birth to her and Lucius's only child, a son they named Draco.

First mention: Sorcerer's Stone / Philosopher's Stone, chapter five.

First Appearance: Goblet of Fire, chapter eight.

General: Not much is known about Narcissa (Black) Malfoy. Like many of the Blacks, and all of the Malfoys, Narcissa was in Slytherin as a student. The Blacks are a family of pureblood witches and wizards, the majority of whom place a great deal of importance on the purity of blood. Narcissa, like her sister Bellatrix, pleased her family by marrying another pureblood wizard, Lucius Malfoy. The Malfoy family is an ancient, aristocratic wizarding family of great wealth and influence. Lucius used both his wealth and influence to make important connections with witches and wizards in high positions, connections that have afforded him and his family many luxuries. A Death Eater, Lucius was able to escape prosecution and punishment after the first fall of Voldemort, remaining with Narcissa and their family even though he continued to dabble in the Dark Arts. Narcissa has the same pureblood mania as Lucius and, as such, she stood by Lucius both in his support of Voldemort and his actions to thwart Ministry knowledge of their true loyalties.

Narcissa and Lucius have one son, the spoiled and bullying Draco. Their home, Malfoy Manor, is an old mansion containing a wide variety of Dark Artifacts that have managed to survive a number of Ministry of Magic raids. Despite Lucius's superior and domineering nature, Narcissa seems to have some amount of sway with her husband. Before the start of the 1994-1995 school year, Draco revealed to his friends that his father wanted to send him to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts. Draco seemed rather fond of this idea himself, but Lucius's plan for Draco was overruled by Narcissa, who insisted Draco remain close to home. She cares for Draco a great deal and did not want him sent so far away. It is assumed that Narcissa is the one who constantly sends Draco care packages of food and gifts from home while he is at Hogwarts.

Narcissa was first glimpsed, albeit briefly, at the Quidditch World Cup Final during the summer of 1994. She accompanied Lucius and Draco, but said nothing, preferring to sneer at those assembled around her. After the match was over, a band of former Death Eaters engaged in a bit of Muggle torture on the camp grounds. While the former Death Eaters were never unmasked, Draco all but admitted that his parents were involved.

With Lucius imprisoned in Azkaban at the end of the 1995-1996 school year, Narcissa was forced to take on a more prominent role. She stood by her husband, anxious for his return, but knew she had to act to preserve the rest of her family, namely her son. After Lucius's failure in the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort was keen on revenge. As such, he assigned Draco the nearly impossible task of killing Albus Dumbledore; the penalty for failure being death. With no other options before her, Narcissa went to Severus Snape before the 1996-1997 school year to ask for help. She and Snape made an Unbreakable Vow, Snape agreeing to watch over Draco, protect him from harm, and carry out the deed himself if it looked like Draco would fail. This Vow, an act of desperation on Narcissa's part, brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore at Snape's hands. It also proved that Narcissa would do anything, even defy the Dark Lord, to ensure the safety of her son. This blind devotion to her family, especially Draco, may prove important in the conclusion of the series.