Imperius-ed Lucius

[lucky_kari]

No: HPFGUIDX 33955

> To which Rebecca Allen responded:
> 
>  
> 
> <<But in CoS, Dumbledore is completely unsurprised to
> discover that Lucius masterminded the whole evil diary plot. How 
could Dumby
> not mention this to Snape? I'm quite sure that Snape's "sudden 
movement" at
> the mention of Lucius' name is more one of fury than surprise.>>

What evidence have we that Snape is aware of the CoS events? 
Dumbledore hushes most everything up in order to protect Ginny 
Weasley from persecution and prosecution (the wizarding world which 
sends people to Azkaban like that mightn't be that compassionate to 
an 11 year old girl), to avoid charges of defamation from Lucius, to 
protect Arthur Weasley's legislation, and to shield the trio for 
their rule-breaking. I personally don't think any of this got beyond 
its immediate audience. (You'll notice that Snape is mysteriously not 
there during the denouement scene.) Snape would have known that 
Lucius was acting nastily and horribly (after all, he was threatening 
to kill his fellow governors, while getting Dumbledore sacked), but I 
don't think he knew that it was connected with Voldemort. 

> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., pigwidgeonthirtyseven 
<pigwidgeon37 at y...> wrote: 
> 
> Here, I completely agree with Rebecca. Even if Snape had believed 
that Lucius had really been put under the Imperius Curse, he must 
know better now, after the end of CoS. But I sincerely doubt that he 
<bought the Imperius excuse even for a moment. After all, Snape has 
known Lucius for many years, even assuming that they were not at 
school at the same time, as Lucius seems to be some years older. (I 
just had a look at Steve's lexicon, but couldn't find a time line for 
Malfoy> 

No, I agree, but would Snape care? If Malfoy has redeemed his messed-
up life, why would Snape (who has too) barge in and tell 
everyone, "It wasn't the Imperius curse!" In fact, I believe there 
must be a large section of he wizarding world that allowed the 
Imperius excuse to function as a legal way in which mercy could be 
shown to those who seemed to have changed their ways. Crouch Sr. may 
have been furious, but juries can think differently. If Malfoy made a 
big thing at his trial about how his life had changed for the better 
since the Imperius curse was lifted, and he had given up smoking and 
drinking, and discovered the meaning of life, and, while in prison, 
had become involved in every rehabilitation program they had, and had 
his young wife and baby son sitting there sobbing, while his 
relatives talked about his desire to go out into the world and work 
for the poor, the opressed, and the downtrodden... The Jury may not 
have believed he was under Imperius, but they may have felt that he 
deserved a second chance. Such things happen in the real world, and 
I'm sure Malfoy had the wits and money enough to orchestrate it. 

Eileen