Lucius Malfoy's escape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 88045

Near the end of OoP, Draco says to Harry, "The dementors have left
Azkaban. Dad and the others'll be out in no time." Harry responds,
"Yeah, I expect they will. Still, at least everyone knows what
scumbags they are now--" (OoP 851 Am. ed.)

Since Lucius is so slippery and a breakout of the sort that freed
Bellatrix et al. would look very bad, I'm predicting that Lucius will
find a way to buy or talk his way out, to get Fudge back into his
pocket and/or convince him of his innocence. (If he were a Muggle,
he'd threaten to sue Fudge for false imprisonment and defamation of
character, but we've yet to seen any Wizard lawyers.) We've seen the
ability of the Daily Prophet reporters to switch positions abruptly
(Harry's a victim; Harry's a nutcase) and persuade their readers to go
along with them, so "everyone knows what scumbags they are now" could
be a temporary situation, with Lucius somehow back to freedom and rich
respectability (and an arrogant sneer back on Draco's face).

Since we've been exploring rather implausible scenarios lately, how
about this one:

Narcissa remains friends with Mrs. Fudge (first name unknown), who
feels sorry for her and thinks it's unfair to ostracize her just
because her husband is in prison. Mrs. Fudge, at Narcissa's urging,
persuades Cornelius to have tea with Narcissa for old times' sake.
Narcissa slips Fudge some sort of potion made from her husband's large
stash of illegal substances and persuades him, under the influence of
the drug, to release her husband (rather like a temporary Imperius
curse that he won't remember). Possibly she offers him some sort of
monetary compensation as further incentive. This scenario provides a
role for Narcissa, who until now has been only a pretty face distorted
by a sneer and a source of sweets for Draco. It also makes more sense
than having Bellatrix, herself high up on the most wanted list, break
him (and her husband and brother-in-law) out of prison so that they
can become fugitives like her. How dangerous could they be then? 

Anyone else have an idea how Lucius might escape and still have some
influence in the WW? Or do you all think we've seen the last of Lucius
and his mantle, such as it is, will pass to Draco?

Carol