Pondering Lucius and Draco

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 23875

Susanna wrote 
> 
> First things first: This was a  bloody brilliant analysis. Allow me 
> though to disagree in some points.

Thanks; go ahead.

> I don't think of Lucius Malfoy as "The Man Who Did It All by 
> Himself". This is an ancient family, whose offspring simply think 
> themselves entitled to everything: Privilege, respect, power, 
> fulfilment of all their desires. 

No; allow me to clarify. I don't think Lucius is a "self-made" wizard,
either, nor did I mean to imply that he credits no one but himself with his
power or prestige. When I said he did it all on his own, I meant only that
he did not credit his father with any influence on his behaviour or his
education. He certainly inherited a great fortune, a legacy, a virtual
empire even, but he retained it and came into that inheritance without any
help from Dad on the social front. As far as he's concerned, he's _always_
been an aristocrat, so why shouldn't Draco have an inherent sense of his own
nobility? Does that make more sense? [Then there's his whole relationship
with his mother, but we won't go into that here. :^)]

> Anyway, this man is much more an incarnation of the 
> power of evil than Voldemort will ever be, because he masters the art 
> of fooling people like Fudge into believing he's good and the art of 
> escaping the ones who instinctively know he's bad (like Arthur 
> Weasley). Evil characters like Lucius will always get the better of 
> the straightforward good ones, because they excel in the art of 
> making the good ones ridiculous. Arthur Weasley can be right a 
> hundred times- one word of Lucius will make him poor Arthur, with too 
> many children and no money, never promoted and lost in some foolish 
> idea of protecting Muggles. Voldemort is evil, but Lucius is the 
> villain with style and he damned well knows that.
> 

Heck, yeah. This is what I meant about knowing _when_ to be nice and when
not to be. He is a courtier, a player. One of the first pieces of advice we
see him give Draco is this: "And I would remind you that it is not --
prudent -- to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our
kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear." (CoS, Ch. 4)
Clearly, this is a man who understands politics and people. He manipulated
the Board of Governors and I'm certain he has ruined several careers,
although in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. He doesn't "frame" people,
but he knows exactly where and when to deliver killing blows. As a side
note, I don't believe Lucius actually works for the Ministry: I believe he
serves on several committees and associates with high-level officials there
in an almost advisory capacity, not as a political official, but as some
sort of expert or corporate representative. The Malfoys are too old and rich
a family to "work" for a living. He probably serves on other governing
boards than Hogwarts, possibly Gringotts or several major wizarding
industries, such as the Wireless Network, the Daily Prophet, or other
lucrative ventures. As such, he's got access to a lot of information, and
I'm sure he's not above seeding rumours where he needs them to get what he
wants.

The worst thing is that he is unrepentant. He sees himself as protecting his
own interests and those of his family. I think he can acknowledge that
aspects of what he does are shady, low, and downright unethical, and I don't
think he really worries about it at all. This, to me, is what makes him
unredeemable. He doesn't seem to relish evil, with any handwringing or
maniacal laughter, but he calmly and competently sets about others'
detriment to further his own goals. And has the sense and the ability to
disguise it all as civic-minded beneficence.

> 
> 
> 
> That would put draco very near Barty Crouch jr.- only heir of an old 
> wizarding family, loaded with tradition and expectations, bound to 
> run wild and become a rebel to his father (because the mothers, in 
> both families, don't seem too important). Following this thread, 
> Draco would be bound to go over to the good side, just as Barty jr. 
> went to the bad. Not because he's redeemed, but because this is the 
> worst thing he can do to his father.
 
Yep, that's certainly a possibility. Heidi's version of Lucius was a Barty,
in a way. His fascination with the Dark Arts was a rebellion, and an
expression of freedom and adventure for him in his youth; now that he's
older, it's a little more tangled up with everything else he's done in the
meantime. My Draco isn't quite that spiteful to his father. Yet.

> In that case I'd say he would turn directly to Dumbledore- 
> Snape is much too ambiguous to fit the purpose.

I agree that Snape is ambiguous now; that's why I say he must position
himself in Draco's estimation. I don't think Draco would ever go to
Dumbledore. He's too conditioned to think of him as a fool. He may realise
he has to change, but he's still a product of pride, and going to
Dumbledore, hat in hand, would be too humiliating. He'd balk. But Snape,
precisely because he has been inside the circles where Draco and his father
swim with the other sharks, could understand the conflict of feelings that
Draco will experience. Snape is the head of his house, and someone who has
always favoured him in class. Snape is more accessible to him, therefore,
than Dumbledore. Also, Draco can talk to Snape less conspicuously than to
Dumbledore, and for a while, even after deciding to turn away from
Voldemort, I think Draco will be looking for a way to straddle the line, to
play both sides against the middle for his own advantage. It will take him a
little longer to realise that he will have to choose one loyalty and stick
with it. Snape can help him see that; he wouldn't accept it coming from
Dumbledore.


> As I said, a villain with style. Draco's all-present, unattainable 
> ideal. As long as Draco is still a boy, he'll just cuddle up in 
> Lucius' shadow.  

Right, and he's not mature enough yet to know how to be subtle in his
chiding. He's got Crabbe and Goyle for cronies, but does he really command a
lot of respect in the house? Don't know--we never see any older Slytherins
except on the Quidditch team, and Marcus obviously was bribed by the brooms.
Pansy, IMO, is as self-serving as any of them, and she sees in Draco the
potential for the good life. I don't support fanon sexy!Draco.


> As soon as he'll develop a personality of his own, he will feel the need
to emerge. Either he becomes an even bigger 
> villain with even more style (he could kill Lucius to become LV's 
> no.1), or he goes in the opposite direction. The third option is 
> suicide, even if that sounds very dramatic.

The other possibility is that he will grow to resent his father's
competence, and turn away (or as you say, kill him) because he feels living
up to Dad's image is impossible.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I won't.

Gwen