LV, Lucius and the Diary

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 159110

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" wrote:
>
> > Lynda:
> > 
> > Of course LM was working toward his own ends.  He is (for the 
> > purposes of the story) a not unintelligent and powerful man in 
> > the wizarding world.  Did he know  that V was definately    
> > coming back? When he sent Draco to Hogwarts no, but when things  
> > started happening at Hogwarts that year, the whole Vapomort  
> > thing, my guess is that his ear went more closely to the ground 
> > to watch for signs of Voldie's return. From the general outline 
> > of the stories, many people (more than likely both the good and  
> > the evil) did not think that Voldemort was gone for good. 
> > <snip>
> 
> Magpie:
> That isn't backed up by canon at all.  Lucius detonated the diary 
> because he thought Voldemort was *gone.*  If he thought Voldemort 
> would come back he would be less inclined to do it because he was 
> supposed to wait for Voldemort's signal.  The diary plot depends 
> on Lucius' not wanting Voldemort back particularly; it can't be 
> part of his agenda to bring Voldemort back. Why would it be,    
> after all? According to DD Lucius was only told that the diary 
> would open the Chamber of Secrets, not that it would resurrect  
> Voldemort himself should he ever be Vaporized.

Mike:
These posts have brought up two intertwined points of interest. The 
first: Who thought that LV wasn't dead, that he could come back? DD 
gives us the impression that he and now Harry are in the priviledged 
position of knowing about LV's Horcruxes to the exclusion of 
everyone else besides LV himself. "Do not forget that Lord Voldemort 
believes that he alone knows about his Horcruxes" (DD in HBP, p.569)
Specifically about the diary, DD told us: "Of course, Lucius did not 
know what the diary really was." (HBP p. 508). But we now know that 
DD was mistaken. At least one more person knew about at least one of 
LV's Horcruxes, and he was a wet behind the ears, budding DE. Also, 
from her words in "Spinner's End" it's possible that Bellatrix 
understood what "his most precious" really was.

We also have LV's words to contemplate. "I, who have gone further 
than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my 
goal -- to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it qppeared 
that one or more of my experiments had worked ..." (GoF, p.653). So, 
LV's DEs know his goal to conquer death. The question, in my mind, 
is who all figured out what these experiments were? 

It seems Regulus did and he might have figured it out on his own or 
he may have learned it from his cousin Bella. Both of them had 
access to the kind of 'Dark Arts Library' that would have a book, 
like Tom Riddle must have found, that would tell one what a Horcrux 
is and how to make one. And Lucius would also have access to similar 
books at Malfoy Manor. And Lucius seems to me to be at least as 
sharp as Bella, giving me pause to wonder if Lucius hadn't also 
figured out what the diary really was. 

He had the diary for at least ten years. Might he have tried his 
own "specialis revelio" on the diary? Or, might he at least openned 
it and wrote in it, when he found it blank? Lucius Malfoy seems 
sharp enough to me to have showed some curiosity about a blank diary 
and to have put it all together. Killed but not dead leader, 
determined to conquer death, waxy appearance, handing out precious 
heirlooms which have special powers to his most trusted DEs for safe 
keeping. So, yeah, I think Lucius just as capable and with just as 
much oppurtunity as Regulus could have figured out that he had a 
Horcrux.

Which brings us to the second point: what was LV's intended purpose 
for the diary? Is *simply* openning the CoS important enough to LV 
to be "remarkedly blase" about one of his "magic number 7" soul 
pieces? Or did he have more in mind and that was why "When 
Voldemoret discovered that the diary had been mutilated and robbed 
of all it's powers, I am told his anger was terrible to behold." (DD 
in HBP, p. 508) Why? If his diary was only for openning the CoS, 
well, it did that. If "Lucius was supposed to wait for Voldemort's 
say-so, and he never received it, ..." (HBP, p.508) that indicates 
that Voldemort had more in mind than *simply* openning the Chamber.
The diary can and did open the chamber without Voldemort's "say-so".

So, what could LV have had in mind for the diary? What did the diary 
do when it was unleashed? The soul piece possessed Ginny after 
tricking her to pour out her soul to Tom. In the end, a 16 year old 
Tom Riddle was taking human form, becoming a sentient being. How can 
this help Lord Voldemort? Let's listen to the man himself: "But I 
was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing 
immortality. I set my sights lower . . . I would settle for my *old 
body* back again, and my old strength." (GoF, p.656, emphasis mine)
Settling for his old body was *not* his plan to achieve immortality, 
even with his Horcruxes. Interesting. Did he plan to get a *new 
body* with the diary? Could he have transferred his main soul piece 
into the diary revenant!Tom to get that *new body*? And, is it 
possible that the diary revenant does not age, does the body always 
stay as a 16 year old? So he would only have to safeguard the diary 
in some unassailable location and *Now* Voldemort/Tom would be 
immortal.

What do you think?

Mike