Malfoy influence/social circles (was Draco and Daddy)

[datalaur]

No: HPFGUIDX 125540



horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

> An aside on the Slytherin brooms:  Lucius bought the team brooms to 
> show off his wealth.  This was the time period that Lucius starts 
> courting Fudge, and he uses the impression of wealth (I have some 
> doubts as to the veracity of the "Malfoy Fortune") to do so.  What 
> better form of display than to sponser his son's quidditch team?  It 
> gets the message out to his peers as well.  


I find a section of GOF very interesting with regard to how well
known/connected the Malfoys and Blacks are to the Ministry and high
society circles:

GOF US p. 100 and 101 "The Quidditch World Cup" chapter:

Fudge (talking to Harry) "...Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters
hve been trying to take cadge all the best places... ah, and here's
Lucius!"

<skip>

"Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the
Minister of Magic.  "How are you?  I don't think you've met my wife,
Narcissa?  Or our son, Draco?"


There are some very curious things going on here.  

1.  How come Fudge calls "Lucius" by his first name when speaking to
Harry?  (I can't think how Fudge would expect Harry would know Lucius
Malfoy by his first name, and yet he never says Lucius's last name. 
Unless Fudge knows about Lucius/Harry/Dumbledore's meeting at the end
of COS?)

2.  I am stunned that Fudge doesn't know / greet Narcissa right off,
or secondarily that Lucius doesn't say something to the effect of,
"I'm sure you recall my wife, Narcissa...."  If the Malfoys or the
Blacks are/were so famous and influential, how come Fudge has
apparently never met Narcissa at a party or something?  Evidently the
Fudges and the Malfoys/Blacks do NOT move in the same social circles.
 Fudge and Lucius Malfoy seem roughly of an age, so why have they not
met at some function / party at some time in the past?  This seems to
imply Cornelius and Lucius are recent acquaintances... due to Lucius'
donations only?  So who ARE the Malfoys' peers?  

3.  How come Fudge uses "Lucius" but Lucius uses "Fudge" (without
using his title)?  Not sure about British society (are politicians
looked down upon in some sense?), so I'm not sure if that is meant to
imply Lucius doesn't have the 'right' to call the minister by his
first name (e.g. Lucius is less senior), or if it implies Lucius has
the seniority?  Equality would seem to be if they addressed each other
the same way (i.e. both by first name)  

4.  Also, Fudge thinks but isn't sure if Lucius knows Arthur Weasley.
 "...And let's see who else--you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" 
That seems kind of weird.  Maybe this is supposedly to imply the JKR's
wizarding world is bigger than it seems to us readers (just like
Hogwarts student population).  So again, Fudge hasn't been at events
where both Weasleys and Malfoys are present.  Okay, so maybe neither
the Malfoys nor the Weasleys attend any Ministry functions... the
Weasleys I can understand, given Arthur's minor job and finances, but
the Malfoys not being known at Ministry functions (surely there are
international / high society functions) seems -really- odd.

5.  Last but not least, the Malfoys are sitting -behind- the Weasleys.
 Sounds like the Weasleys have the better seats.  (The box has "about
twenty purple and gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry,
filing into the front seats with the Weasleys..."  I can't tell for
100% sure which row Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister are in, but it
seems implied that it is the front row next to Ludo Bagman, the
commentator.

Maybe Arthur should have asked Lucius 'what he had to sell to get
these top box seats', rather than the other way around, eh?

What do you all think?

laur