The Snape-Malfoy connection

[elfundeb2]

No: HPFGUIDX 101718

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nkafkafi" <nkafkafi at y...> 
wrote:
> I find it strange that Lucius Malfoy got off so easily after the 
> first war, and with such an easy excuse either ("I was 
imperio'ed!" 
> now gimme a brake. Why didn't all the other DEs use this excuse?). 
> OK, so the man is rich and influential, and he gave a lot of gold 
to 
> the Ministry, but I don't think this alone would have stopped the 
> zealous Crouch Sr. (the man convicted his own son, after all). 

I believe that Lucius was following the old adage, "the best defense 
is a good offense".  From ch. 6 of PS/SS: "They were some of the 
first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared.  Said 
they'd been bewitched."  And Hagrid had stated earlier that some 
people "came outta kinda trances."  I think Lucius took the 
offensive and volunteered that he'd been imperio'd without waiting 
to be arrested when he noticed that other people were doing it.

I agree that Crouch Sr. would not have been deterred from pursuing 
Lucius or any other suspected DE by the offer of gold.  However, if 
Lucius Malfoy had been tried, even Crouch could not have forced a 
jury to convict where it was not so inclined, as we saw in Ludo 
Bagman's trial in the Pensieve.  It was the jury (which, based on 
Harry's hearing, appears to have consisted of Wizengamot members) 
that would have been the bribery target.

I also 
> find it strange that in CoS, DD lets Lucius off so easily after it 
> becomes clear Lucius was the one behind the diary plot. There 
wasn't 
> evidence against him? So what? We all know how protective DD is 
about 
> his students. Malfoy had also tried to remove DD from the 
headmaster 
> position and almost succeeded. You'd think DD would have put some 
> really nasty and untraceable jinx on him, just to teach him a good 
> lesson, but as far as we know he didn't.

I don't think Dumbledore is the type to use jinxes to teach anyone a 
lesson.  He seems to believe the lessons are best learned from life 
experience.  Moreover, why would Dumbledore want to be so 
deliberately antagonistic to Malfoy?  Better to keep a watchful eye 
on him, now that Dumbledore knows what he's up to.  With 
Dumbledore's legilimency skills, he can gain useful information 
merely by keeping in touch.
> 
> So, here is my idea (with apologies to all the members who brought 
it 
> up before): Snape knew Malfoy was a real DE. He had the evidence 
and 
> could have turned Malfoy in after the first war. Malfoy knew that. 
> But DD told Snape to lie to the Ministry and testify that Malfoy 
was 
> under the Imperio, so Malfoy would be cleared. This convinced 
Malfoy 
> that Snape is on his side. DD did it as an investment for the 
future 
> and a start for building the Snape-Malfoy connection. 

Interesting theory, but I doubt Lucius was tried.  I also think that 
for Snape to lie would have been dangerous since there were probably 
other legilimens around who might have been able to penetrate his 
memories.  And Snape had many opportunities to build a relationship 
with Malfoy which he could exploit by using his legilimency skills, 
without needing to lie for him.  
 
Debbie