What were the Malfoys DOING there?

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 113364

> Hannah wrote: 
> The real question here is what Lucius Malfoy was hoping 
> > to achieve with the diary.  I can think of three possibilities:
> > 1. Restore LV to power through diary Tom
> > 2. Kill off as many mudbloods as possible, and get the school 
shut down.
3. Discredit Arthur Weasley, hopefully killing some mudbloods along 
the way.
<makor snippage>
> > I think he was motivated by a combination of 2 and 3.  The 
timing suuggests that killing off muggle-borns was not his only aim -
 why not do it beforehand if so?  But at the start of CoS he has a 
>problem; Arthur Weasley's muggle protection act, and this is going 
>to affect the one thing that Lucius *really* cares about - 
himself.   He realises he has an ideal opportunity to prevent the 
muggle protection act, remove DD, and maybe even kill off some 
children (you can see why it was so appealing). <snip>
> 
> Carol replied:
> Can you explain how you think that preventing the Muggle Protection
> from going on the books would benefit Lucius? Are you saying that
> Muggle torture and Muggle killing are legal in the WW?  
<snip>
>Not surewhat I think about this. It's clear, though, that Malfoy 
>Sr. and Mr.Weasley are personal enemies as well as being on 
>opposite sides.

Hannah again now:  Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear in the 
original post.  I don't think that muggle protection act is being 
enacted to prevent muggle killing or torture - I'm sure these are 
already illegal in the WW.  I think if they were legal, wizards like 
Malfoy would be at it all day!

We know that Malfoy has already been adversely affected by Arthur 
Weasley's actions at the ministry.  He has had to sell off some of 
his dark magic playthings and has suffered the indignity of having 
his manor searched.  He clearly isn't at all happy about this.  I 
get the impression that if the Protection Act were to go through 
then there would be more raids, maybe harsher penalties, perhaps 
some loopholes in the law closed up, giving Malfoy less chance to 
enjoy whatever muggle-baiting is legal/ he can get away with under 
the current laws.

Malfoy also refers to the act as 'ridiculous' and calls for it to be 
scrapped in the newspaper article Draco reads to polyjuiced!Harry 
and Ron.  While we can't be sure of exactly how the Act is going to 
affect him, it's pretty clear that he's not in favour.  Perhaps most 
compellingly, IMO, this seems to be what DD believes was his 
ultimate aim, from what he says to Lucius at the end of CoS.

I also liked Mac's idea, that the whole plot was specifically aimed 
at killing Harry Potter.  I don't know how much this would benefit 
Malfoy personally, but it is certainly another possibility.

Hannah