Intro and Lucius may not be evil

[koinonia02 at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 21041

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "DM" <dangermouse42 at y...> wrote:
> Hi!
> I joined a few days ago and now I'm finally getting around to 
> introducing myself.  My handle is DangerMouse 

DangerMouse?  Now that's an interesting handle ;)
> 
> I don't think Lucius Malfoy is a bad guy.  I don't think he wants 
to 
> be working for Voldemort and was most likely coerced into doing it.

First off, let me say I enjoyed your post but I'm going to have to 
disagree with you already!  I wouldn't mind if Lucius turned out to 
be a good guy but I have my serious doubts.


> Lucius may be a complete jerk, but siding with Voldemort seems like 
a 
> very, very, very risky venture on his part, especially considering 
> his family is so old (this is all IMHO of course).

Cos Ch 4, "Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are 
true, you haven't sold me half of what's hidden in you manor..."

CoS Ch 4, "Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost 
lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his 
robes.  "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that --
-no Malfoy's worth listernin' ter--bad blood, that's what it is---

I don't believe there is any doubt that the Malfoy family dabbles in 
the Dark side.  They always have and evidently find the risk worth 
taking.  They are a rich, powerful family.  It's obvious that Lucius 
uses his money and power to get what he wants, regardless of who is 
in the way.


 Plus, we know 
> that Dark Lords have risen and been defeated in recent history 
before 
> Voldemort ("Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the 
> dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945..." - HP and the SS, Ch6).  Given 
> that I believe that Lucius must be around the same age as Arthur 
> Weasley, it's not unlikely that he was alive during that time.  Why 
> risk getting involved in something that has already failed once?

Why does anyone risk such things?  Power?  Hate?  Name a time in 
history when there hasn't been someone who was evil and was 
defeated.  The next person always feels they will be the one to 
succeed. Maybe this is just a stepping stone for Lucius.  Be one of 
Voldemort's followers and then try for the number one spot some day.
 
> Also, Lucius ran away from the Dark Mark when it was shot up in the 
> sky during the Quidditch World Cup and sent his son to hide in the 
> forest when the Death Eaters started running around.  If he was a 
> loyal and happy Death Eater, why send his son away from the 
> campsite?  Why not just let him sit in the tent or even join in?  
Why 
> run away from the Dark Mark?

Where does it say Lucius ran away from the Dark Mark?  As Voldemort 
says to Lucius:  "Your exploits at the Quidditch World cup were fun, 
I daresay...

Draco is still rather young at this time.  Also, why take the chance 
of Draco getting caught with the DE's?  I don't think he was told to 
run away from the DE's but to just get out of the way.
 
> Another thing that needs mentioning is his large donations to St. 
> Mungos. It seems strange to me for JKR to mention that 
specifically, 
> unless it had some kind of meaning.

Outward appearance.  I sincerely don't believe he is giving from his 
heart. After all, as you point out later, even Fudge uses this 
example.  It's just a plan to make it look like he is a good, decent 
guy.

  Also, the very fact the he was 
> found innocent in his connections with Voldemort by the Ministry 
> leaves one wondering - surely they used some kind of truth potion 
on 
> the defendants.


Like the truth potion they used on Sirius?  It's obvious that the 
truth potion isn't used often.

Money can buy many things.  Sometimes it can buy an innocent verdict.
 
> Finally, the most convincing part about this is how much Voldemort 
> supporters seem to dislike Draco. Scabbers (Peter) attacked Draco 
on 
> the train to Hogwarts in the first book;

Wasn't that because Draco came around Ron?  I don't really remember.

 Mad-Eye Moody (or rather 
> Crouch) turned him into a ferret and slammed him around the hallway.

But Moody (Crouch Jr.) feels that Lucius deserted his master. Crouch 
Jr. felt the same way about all the DE's.  He felt he was the loyal 
one.
  
> Also, one of the biggest non-supporters of Voldemort, Severus 
Snape, 
> really, really seems to like Draco.
> An individual with whom I was discussing this with through e-mail 
> summed it up best - 
> "The really convincing part is the Snape/Draco dynamic, why would 
> Snape as a Death Eater turned Spy favour the son of a Death Eater 
> unless he also had wavering loyalties?"

There are many theories on this.  Some believe it is all a bigger 
plan by Snape.  He has to appear to still favor the DE's.  Word needs 
to get back to those parents how much he favors his house.  Then 
again, others don't believe in this at all.
    
> Another interesting thing to note is the conversation that took 
place 
> and Severus' reaction to it in GoF Chapter 26:
> 
>    "Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted.  He tried to 
get 
> out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back.  "I saw the 
Death 
> Eaters!  I can give you their names!  Lucius Malfoy--"
>    Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, 
Snape's 
> eyes flew back to Fudge.
> "Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibaly affronted.  "A very old 
> family -- donations to excellent causes --"
> 
> Odd reaction for Snape to have if Lucius was really a heartless 
Death 
> Eater.

Not really.  Maybe Snape has a deep hatred for Lucius.  He could be 
thinking he can't wait to get his hands (or teeth) on Lucius.  
Actually, several people have excellent ideas about this scene but I 
just can't remember them at this time.  

Oh, here are some:  Snape is concerned that Harry will start 
mentioning DE's who were at the meeting and since Snape was there he 
is afraid Harry will mention him (these aren't necessarily my ideas 
but these are some I have heard).

Snape doesn't want Harry to mention any of the DE's.  It would 
interfere with what Snape has to do.

It is just a red herring (this I don't believe).

Honestly, I'm not sure what to believe about this little scene but I 
do think it is important and that it has to do with Lucius being 
mentioned, not just the DE's.

 
> It also is good to note that, once more, Lucius' donations 
> to 'excellent causes' was brought up again.  Some say this was a 
way 
> for Lucius to gain power for the Ministry, but maybe it was really 
a 
> way for him to assuage some of his guilt.

Doubt it!
 
> The idea of Lucius having 'wavering loyalties' is a very compelling 
> one indeed.  Of course, you can argue his actions in the Second 
book, 
> what with diary and Dobby and all.  However, he was not out of line 
> with he treatment of the house-elf as far as Wizarding society is 
> concerned,

Actually, he was out of line with his treatment of the house-elf.  I 
can't go back and look everything up but he abused Dobby.  It wasn't 
just a matter of owning a house-elf, it was his abuse of one.

> and as far as we know, he could have been forced by other 
> Death Eaters to make use of the Diary.

I don't see anyone forcing Lucius to do anything.
 
> Anyway, I would like to know what everybody thinks.  I don't claim 
> that Lucius is a saint.  He was probably dabbling in the Dark Arts 
> long before Voldemort approached him, but that doesn't 
automatically 
> make you evil.

Since I'm quoting interviews tonight, let me bring this one up.  In 
the BBC Online - Newsround interview, JKR was talking about 
prejudice.  She mentions that since the beginning of PoS prejudice is 
a very strong theme.  Harry finds out that he is a half-blood; to a 
wizard like *Lucius Malfoy*, he will never be a true wizard.

I don't know.  I just get the impression Lucius is rotten and evil to 
the core.  As for Draco, I'm still crossing my fingers for him.
  
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this!

I loved it!

I won't ask you if you believe the Malfoy family could be vampires as 
I've been accused of drinking butterbeer ^_~

Koinonia