(un)masking the DEs

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 120712


Snow:
> This still remains a mystery to me as to why Lucius was attempting 
> to revive the young Tom Riddle via the diary (who had been known to 
> his closest friends as Voldemort by then) when only two years later 
> he ran from the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup. It just 
> doesn't add up. Does Lucius want his Master back or not? Is 
> Voldemort Master over Lucius, it doesn't appear so in the 
> Graveyard, all Lucius received as punishment was a stern talking 
> to, which didn't appear to affect Lucius much. In fact, Arthur 
> Weasley gets more of a reaction out of Lucius than Voldemort did. 
 
Lisa the Lurker chimes in:
> Perhaps Lucius thought a young Tom Riddle would be easy to 
> manipulate and control?  After all the time, money, and sucking up 
> Lucius has done, I don't think he really likes his second banana 
> position.  If he thought Voldemort was truly gone, then a 
> figurehead replacement might be the best thing.  As we're
> told Slytherins are ambitious by nature, it makes sense he would 
> try for a leader who is more easily shaped to LM's needs and 
> wants.  If you can't be the power, be the power behind the throne.


SSSusan:
Absolutely.  This is the take I have, Lisa.  It has been discussed 
here before, and I've argued that there are several possible reasons 
for Lucius' actions in CoS which would fit with someone who's 
attempting to gain power for HIMSELF, not attempting to bring back 
his "master."  I've never been convinced that Lucius thought he 
could/would bring back Voldy via the diary scheme.

Some of the ideas put forth have been that Lucius was trying to harm 
Harry [as Dobby seemed to believe would happen], either through blame 
or through actually having him killed; trying to discredit Arthur and 
the entire Weasley family after their sure-to-come-out role in the 
affair; wreaking havoc on Hogwarts and killing a few "mudbloods"; 
getting DD removed from Hogwarts for lack of control & protection of 
the students.  

These things would have done a couple of things for Lucius.  One, it 
would have put him in the perfect spot for influencing who got to be 
next Hogwarts headmaster after DD's removal, a nice coup.  Two, it 
would provide bragging rights with likeminded wizards, old DE 
friends, who'd be even more inclined to see him as powerful and 
follow him.

The reason I've held fairly strongly to this view of things, rather 
than the story that Lucius was truly attempting to bring Voldy back, 
is his behavior in the graveyard.  When Voldy chastized slippery 
Lucius for failing to come to his aid during those 12 years, Lucius 
DIDN'T protest with a "But, Master, two years ago I...."  Some have 
argued that this wouldn't have been the time/place to have brought up 
such a (failed) attempt, but I just disagree with that; I think it 
would've been human nature to have protested & defended oneself, even 
with Voldy, *if* the truth would've proven your loyalty.

The only "Lucius was trying to bring back Voldy" argument I could 
really see fitting with his personality & the graveyard scene are 
what Lisa is alluding to a bit here:  the possibility that Lucius 
thought bringing back a young Tom Riddle, rather than a fully-grown, 
fully-developed Voldemort, might put him [Lucius] in a better 
position to control Tom, to retain more power.

Worth watching closely, Lucius Malfoy is, I think.

Siriusly Snapey Susan