Canon for OFH!Lucius

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 160917

Neri wrote (tongue in cheek, I hope):
> > DDM!Lucius, the courageous secret agent who obviously slipped the
diary to Ginny and then sent Dobby to Harry in order to destroy
Voldemort's Horcrux, and later made sure to fail capturing Harry and
retrieving the Prophecy, all this on Dumbledore's orders and despite
the terrible consequences to himself and his family... He's pretty
rigid, actually <g>.
> 
Random832 responded:
> You know... that's not a half-bad theory... heh, just kidding.
> Regardless, we need to look at the characters on their own merits. I
> think the evidence is simply not there to support ESE!Lucius. As for
> DDM... well, now that's just silly.
>
Carol adds:
I think that Lucius Malfoy has been depicted rather unambiguously
since his introduction in CoS, from his advice to Draco to conceal his
dislike for Harry Potter to his selling Dark artifacts in Borgin and
Burke's and his placing of the diary in Ginny's cauldron. We also know
that he has attempted to remove Dumbledore (Draco's reference to DD as
a "Muggle lover" probably reflects the views he's heard expressed at
home) and Hagrid. We've heard Dobby's references to his "family" as
"bad, Dark wizards." We know that Lucius Malfoy Imperio'd Sturgis
podmore and on and on and on. Clearly, Lucius supports Voldemort's
(ostensible) pro-pureblood agenda. Clearly, he's a Dark wizard with no
moral reservations against casting Unforgiveable Curses. So either
he's ESE!, a genuine and loyal supporter of Voldemort like Bellatrix
and Barty Crouch Jr., or he's serving his own interests, which do not
include supporting the good guys (or did not, until Voldemort started
seeking revenge on him and his family). I think that Lucius's
self-interest may win out over his pro-Voldemort sentiments, but I
doubt that he'll stop being a Dark wizard or believing in pureblood
superiority whatever happens. DDM!Lucius? Might as well argue for
DDM!Voldemort.

Snape, of course, is another matter entirely. We not only have
Dumbledore's trust in him, but we have Bellatrix's testimony that he
repeatedly "slithered out of action" and his own statement that his
job is "finding out what Voldemort is telling his Death Eaters." We
have him showing his Dark Mark to Fudge as testimony that Voldemort is
back and gripping his chair tightly when he hears that a student has
been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. We have his repeated attempts
to save Harry or to keep him out of trouble. Even his delaying Harry
at the foot of the stairs in GoF prevents Harry from running off down
the wrong corridor in search of Dumbledore, whom Snape knows is on his
way down the stairs. And if it weren't for Snape, Harry and his
friends would have been killed by the Death Eaters in the MoM. Despite
Snape's mean, sarcastic streak and his open dislike of Harry, there is
abundant evidence that his loyalties *could* lie with Dumbledore
(though evidence admittedly is not proof and it could be interpreted
Draco-style as the efforts of a double agent to feign loyalty,
especially after the murder of Dumbledore on the tower). 

No such evidence or ambiguity exists for Lucius Malfoy, who is an
unrepentant Death Eater whether he's personally loyal to Voldie or
not, as evidenced by his leading the Muggle baiting in GoF. If Lucius
changes sides in Book 7, it will be self-interest, not principle or
loyalty to the dead Dumbledore, that prompts him to do so.

Carol, expecting Lucius to escape from Azkaban with Snape's help and
do something to thwart Voldemort before dying, possibly at Voldemort's
own hand (erm, wand)