Lucius Malfoy's escape

[sophierom]

No: HPFGUIDX 88090

> justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
 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.) 

<snip proposed scenario for Lucius return to respectability>

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?

> Jo replies:
I certainly don't think that we've seen the last of Lucius Malfoy 
but I can't see him regaining anything like his former position of 
influence at the Ministry or in the non-DE wizarding world.
<snip> 
Remember too, that Dumbledore has been reinstated as Chief Warlock 
of the Wizengamot.  No, I really think that Fudges' glory days are 
over and he'll be lucky to escape being imprisoned for corruption if 
the evidence of his ties to Mr. Malfoy ever become public.

Sophierom (me) replies:

What if we tie the question of Lucius's future to another issue ... 
Snape's viability as a spy (even double or triple agent)? Some good 
posts have already suggested that the DEs think Snape is spy for 
their side, while in actuality, Snape is working for the Order (see 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86407 and 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/88073 as 
examples).  

Both posts have also suggested that Lucius Malfoy is an important 
link for Snape.  Jen R. has argued that Lucius is also a double 
agent for the order, and has been so ever since the diary 
catastrophe in CoS (post 86407).  bboy_mn proposes a less direct 
role for Lucius; he believes that Lucius is "one of the most 
intelligent DE's," and because this intelligence makes Lucius one of 
LV's top men, Snape uses Lucius to keep in LV's inner circle (post 
88073).  (If I've misrepresented these posts, I apologize!) In 
either case, Snape neeeds Lucius to maintain a good relationship 
with the DEs and LV. Without this relationship, Snape can't be a 
very good double agent for the Order.

So, based on these ideas, perhaps Lucius can wiggle his way out of 
Azkaban.  Perhaps the Order needs Lucius in order to keep Snape in 
the spying game.  So, one possible scenario: Fudge will release 
Lucius, with the silent blessing of Dumbledore. (Fudge is the pawn 
of all the power players in the HP world; I believe he was the 
unwitting pawn of LV via Lucius in OOTP and he will be the knowning, 
perhaps bitter pawn of Dumbledore in at least the beginning of Book 
6.) 

Draco, as well as Harry and his gang, will believe Lucius "got away 
with it." Harry may be particularly bitter about this because he 
came face to face with Lucius in the MoM.  But Harry won't realize 
until later that the Order needs Lucius in some capacity.  In 
proposing these ideas, I don't mean to suggest that Lucius is 
working for the Order in any real sense; he is still as slimy as 
ever. Perhaps he won't even know who really allowed him to be 
released.  

Another possible scenario: Lucius actually breaks out of Azkaban, 
for as Draco insinuates at the end of OotP, without the dementors, 
Azkaban isn't much of a prison for strong enough wizards.  In this 
case, as others have suggested, Lucius will have to go underground. 
While the Ministry may put some effort into capturing other escaped 
DEs, Dumbledore will have his Aurors in the Order lay off Lucius 
because the ORder needs Lucius to be in play in order to maintain 
Snape's contact with the DEs.

In either case, Snape needs to keep in contact with Lucius; 
otherwise, he won't be much of double agent. I suppose Snape could 
try to "make friends" with some other DE, or perhaps work straight 
for LV.  But I doubt if LV trusts Snape enough to let him get too 
close (LV likes having an intermediary between himself and Snape 
just in case Snape has gone over to the Order).  Lucius has been the 
perfect link thus far; LV has a trusted DE in between himself and 
Snape, and Snape has an inner-circle contact.  

If Harry sees Snape having anything to do with Lucius, he is 
going to be none too pleased with Snape. But he may not 
understand that it actually serves the Orders' purposes to let 
Lucius run free for a while. 

Okay, that's my rambling two cents (or knuts?).  Hope everyone had a 
happy new year.
Best,
Sophierom