Malfoy influence/social circles (was Draco and Daddy)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 125571


Laur:
 
> 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?)

Finwitch:

I don't think he was talking to Harry per se - he was talking to the 
Bulgarian Minister (and making big show about the Boy Who Lived).

Laura:
 
> 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.

Finwitch:

Or they do, but Lucius doesn't like Fudge and is making subtle 
distance, reminding Fudge about well, that there ARE some other 
people than Harry around? After all, Fudge has been taking advice 
from Dumbledore... hmm.. old wounds from the Voldemort war - Fudge 
is - being politician who tries to please everyone (majority anyway)- 
trying to make friends with Lucius and certainly believing 
that 'Imperius' - and of course, Lucius is paying bribes...? 

Laura: 
> 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)  

Finwitch:

Well, let's see... Tonks didn't like her first name. I'd expect 
Cornelius Fudge to be making better image with sweet and sticky Fudge 
than with Corny Cornelius..
 
or their relations could be like that between Severus Snape and Remus 
Lupin. You DID notice how Lupin says 'Severus' - and Snape stubbornly 
insists on 'Lupin'.

Don't forget that Fudge had been taking advice from Dumbledore (but 
is definately not doing so in OOP).

> 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. 

Finwitch:

Not really -- Fudge possibly DOES know about Arthur Weasley and the 
raids in Malfoy Mansion -- and certainly about the fight those two 
got into at Lockhart's signing, it must have been in the Daily 
Prophet -- maybe he's just telling Malfoy not to pull any stunts like 
that in front of their international guests or something... and 
Arthur Weasley IS of the Ministry.

> 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?

Finwitch:

Arthur got his tickets by Social Contacts. Malfoy used Money. Now, 
I'd say that Ludo Bagman (who's the HEAD of the Sports Department and 
therefore more or less in charge of the seats...) gave the tickets to 
Arthur as a favour (Arthur DID use some favours to get that temporary 
Floo, didn't he?)

Malfoy just doesn't get the 'exchange of favours' going on within the 
Ministry (and he's envious). It's a game and friends in right places 
count more than money. (Lucius bribes the Minister, he BUYS the 
favours Arthur gets by other means... you know, going there to let 
Moody off with a caution and all that)
 
Finwitch