Snape and Lucius was James and Intent And Snape

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 187093

Pippin wrote:
<snip quotes>
> 
> According to Dumbledore, then, Lucius only knew the diary would open the chamber,  not that it would possess or sap the life of the person he gave it too, which only a horcrux could have done.  Incidentally, this shows that Lucius knew that TM Riddle was Voldemort and expected other people to know also -- otherwise there wouldn't be anything incriminating about an old diary.
> 
> Pippin
>
Carol responds:

I don't quite understand the logic of your last paragraph. Yes, it shows that Lucius knew who Voldemort was. He also knew, as Draco informs the Polyjuiced Ron and Harry, that last time the Chamber was opened, a "Mud-blood" died. Since the diary contains the memory of Tom Riddle framing Hagrid (and presumably others, since DD says that it proved Tom Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin), I'd say that it was indeed a highly incriminating magical object--it proved that Tom Riddle had killed Moaning Myrtle. For Lucius to have it in his possession makes him an accomplice to that crime, and suggests that he intends to use it for similar purposes.

If you mean, though, that just having a possession of Tom Riddle's is incriminating because it would prove that he was a trusted associate of Voldemort's, I suppose that's true enough. But I don't think that's the main reason it's incriminating. A diary that opens the Chamber of Secrets and (presumably) releases the monster within would be a Dark and dangerous object even if it weren't a Horcrux, and Lucius is getting rid of it along with the stuff he's selling to Borgin.

IMO, he wants to discredit Dumbledore as well as the Weasleys, and he wouldn't mind at all if another "Mudblood" dies. (Cf. Draco: "I hope it's Granger.") It's clear from his talk in front of Dobby that he knew that students would be endangered by his action (and no one would be disgraced if they weren't!).

BTW, the unnamed source of DD's information has to be Snape.

Carol, thanking Pippin for providing those detailed quotes