Snape and Lucius: stupid, afraid or both? Was: Snape thought Lucius was

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 101652

Mandy:
> You would think, right, but Lucius doesn't!  Why? Why does 
clever,  prudent and powerful Malfoy go back to LV, and proceed 
to make the  biggest mistake of his life by leading the raid on the 
MoM?  Why does  the apparently brilliant Malfoy risk everything, 
EVERYTHING on that  one raid!   The only reason I can come up 
with is fear.  <

You're overlooking something. Voldemort thinks that the 
prophecy contains information on how to destroy him. He daren't 
go after it himself,  but he can't send anyone but his most trusted 
lieutenants to bring it to him.

I agree that if Snape knows Malfoy was a DE but thought he was 
under Imperius, then Malfoy probably knows that Snape was a 
DE too. But in that case maybe he thinks they have a 
deal--Snape will keep Malfoy supplied with scuttlebut about 
Hogwarts (as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, 
Malfoy would find that useful) and Malfoy won't mention to anyone 
that Snape was a DE. That would fit with the lapdog comment, 
wouldn't it?

Of course once Malfoy got kicked off the Board, he wouldn't need 
Snape anymore, except that he's Draco's Head of House. Which 
would give Snape a good reason to suck up to Draco all the 
time.

Pippin