The Lucius Sting Theory/Bella's "cadre of maniacs" (Was: Where'd He Go . . .)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 150942


Pippin:
Lucius makes an excellent red herring for the sender, but if he's
to be prime suspect, I'd like to see a hint that he knows occlumency. 
Otherwise surely Voldemort would have found out what he'd been up 
to and punished him for putting his would-be rescuers in Azkaban 
long before the MoM screw up.

As for Bella not taking advice from half-bloods, she's been taking
orders from Voldemort all these years...and if he fooled her, or if
she chose to overlook what she's heard about him, that might 
apply to others as well. Apparently it takes a willing suspension
of disbelief for anybody to rank as a pureblood these days. 

Further, Lucius as the sender doesn't lead us anywhere -- it
introduces a personal element  between Neville and Lucius, but it's too 
late for that. ESE!Lupin as the sender gives us a reversal between 
Lupin and Neville which nicely parallels the reversal between Barty 
Jr and Neville in GoF. 

> 
> Carol, still trying to figure out why Rabastan is so often overlooked
> when people talk about the Lestranges ("They're a married couple") and
> why JKR bothered to give Rodolphus a brother when so far he seems
> unnecessary to the plot

Pippin:

I immediately thought of Rabastan as a possible RAB.

Pippin
happy that the sting part of her theory gets some support