Malfoy Sr's Intent with TMR's Diary (CoS)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 113692

SSSusan:
> > The fact that Lucius HADN'T talked to Voldy 'til the graveyard 
> > is a big part of my argument.  It would have been Lucius's first 
> > opportunity to protest about how much he'd done on Voldy's 
> > behalf...but he doesn't.  And I'm also not sure that the failure 
> > was "spectacular."  The plan actually came amazingly close to 
> > success:  DD was out of the way; McGonagall was ready to close 
> > the school; people were blaming Harry; Ginny was almost dead and 
> > Diary!Tom was almost "real."  I'd call it a near-miss, not a 
> > spectacular failure.  (Of course, *any* failure by a DE is 
> > likely considered "spectacular" to Voldy--look at him blaming 
> > Bella for the broken prophecy orb.)

Colin:
> Don't forget Voldy has had many spectacular failures of his own:
> 1: Tries to kill a baby, ends up as Vapor!Mort
> 2: Tries to get a stone out of a mirror, gets beat by kid again, 
> now 11.
> 3: Tries to get a basilisk to kill now 12yo kid, goes 'oh I forgot
> about phoenix tears healing power' (I know it's not technically
> Voldemort who does this but it's the same arrogant persona.)
> 4: Spends a year organising to get Harry alone, and restore self to
> full power, and succeeds.
> Then summons former followers to show how great he is, and 
> demonstrate that the brat kid is no match for him now, that events 
> of GH were a fluke, and what happens?
> a) He can't even Imperio Harry thanks to his one 'loyal' servant
> b) He then tries to AK Harry, the same curse that backfired 13 
> years ago! That's a smart move! Voldy's lucky the Priori 
> Incantatum thing happend or he may have ended up a wasp of vapor 
> again, great way to impress his disillusioned followers!
> c) Instead of a subtle return to power, his greatest threat,
> Dumbledore now knows he's back.
> 5: Manages to do one thing of right of getting Bella etc. out of
> Azkaban, but spends 12 months hiding from WW, trying to get a 
> prophecy so he can *maybe* find out how to get rid of the 
> continually underestimated Harry, and that went bellyup big time. 
> All but one of his followers captured (that were involved), not 
> really Voldy's fault, but he then turns up himself to try and save 
> the day and does so just in time to get recognised by the Minister 
> of Magic and many others who were so happily denying his existence.
> 
> So all up we have 2 jobs done right for the Dark Lord and 5 major
> SNAFU's. If I were a death eater right now I'd be considering 
> turning in my membership.


SSSusan:
Fair enough assessment, I'd say,a Colin.  All of these incidents, 
combined, have a lot to do with why it's hard for readers to see 
Voldy as this super-scary, most-powerful-of-all-time, can't-bear-to-
speak-his-name, badassss kind of evil overlord.  So far he's seemed 
almost laughable.  And I don't mean that as a put-down of wizards 
who do tremble--there MUST have been reason to tremble--but other 
than their *talk* of how horrible it used to be, we just haven't 
seen it.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan