Keeper of the Superfluous Es!

I like writing Lucius in many different ways, personally, and think he's one of the most intriguing characters because he CAN go so many ways. Sometimes, I write him as a cold and unfeeling bastard with no regard for anyone around him except himself, who enjoys torture and manipulation and power and death more than anything else. Sometimes, I write him as a loving father and doting husband, whose role in Voldemort's legions is to ensure a constant place in society for his family and nothing more. And I've written everything in between. I think it's possible with Lucius, unlike with many other characters, to write him from several different angles and still justify most of them, BECAUSE we know so little of him. There are hints, of course. We see in CoS that he's arrogant and self-centred, but that could be a public show he puts on. We KNOW he hates Muggle-borns, and that he enjoys wreaking havoc, but that just means he's got strong political views and quite possibly doesn't even think of Muggles and Muggleborns as human beings (and therefore torturing them isn't an issue, much like plantation owners did with slaves). He's also very determined to carry out his orders to the best of his ability, and it's clear that he hates messes - I reference the way he reacts during the Department of Mysteries battle, trying to get people to be as careful as possible and such.

Basically, I think Lucius is a wonderful character to play with, and while there are definitely WRONG ways to write him (fluffy, Muggle-loving Lucius? I don't think so!), there is more than one way to...erm...create a Malfoy.