NOTE: The following is completely fictional. I do not even pretend to know J.K. Rowling or the intent of her characters. However, I picked apart Lucius Malfoy as an exercise in seeing what makes villains tick (for my screenplay in screenwriting class). So, what you're about to read is what I think of the character of Lucius Malfoy, and how I read/see him in the books/films.
Also, take into note that most of this theory is put into practice in my fanfiction, "The Difference Between Life and Dreams", which can be read on this website!

      I see Lucius as being a boy who was much like Draco. He wanted to impress his own father, Abraxas Malfoy, thus he became a very competant wizard in his own right. Lucius was born in 1954, and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1965.
      Lucius' name, in and of itself, is a bit of a mystery. Many believe it to be closely related to the word "Lucifer" which, as we all know, is another name for Satan aka The Devil. However, Lucius also has latin origins to the word "Light". The last name of Malfoy, in Old French, means "bad faith", and 'Mal' generally means 'Bad' in Latin. However, to connect "Light" with "Bad" or "Bad Faith" in such a way makes me wonder... Could it be possible that Lucius is, in a way, a "Light", a ray of hope, in a family with a history of evil intents, a family of "Bad Faith"? Or could it be that Lucius bears the possibility of "Light", or hope, and that possibility grows up to be Draco (who's name means "Dragon" in Latin)? Could Draco be the "Dragon", born from "Light", in a family of "Bad Faith", of evil, who can contend with the darkness that is Voldemort and give hope to his family name?
      The Malfoy family is famous for it's dealings in Dark Wizardry, which would probably not have started with Lucius himself. They also have close ties to other families who "hated Muggles" and delved in the Dark Arts, such as the Black Family.
      During school, Lucius meet Narcissa Black, whom he later married, and, I believe, became like an older brother with Black Family son, Regulus Black (the younger brother of Sirius Black).

      Lucius would have known Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort, through, I think, the dealings of his father and other Pure Bloods in the Dark Lord's beginning schemes. I think it became a sort of "family thing" to join Riddle's crusade against Muggle-borns. Many noted members of the Black family (Regulus, Narcissa, and Bellatrix) were all members of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix is, perhaps, the most gung-ho for Voldemort of those noted. I believe that Lucius joined the Death Eaters because those whom he associated with, those he was friends with, and those he loved, were Death Eaters. The elder Black Family and the elder Malfoy Family probably both approved of the idea due to their hatred of Muggles and their dabbling in the Dark Arts.
      I believe that Lucius and Regulus joined the Death Eaters together, perhaps Regulus following the older Lucius' lead, believing that they could truly make a difference. That they could bring magic back to only the Pure Bloods.
      However, it has been noted that when Regulus learned what would be asked of him as a Death Eater, he fled. As it is literally impossible to quit such an organization, it is rumored that Voldemort had Regulus killed by another member of the Death Eaters, or even killed him himself.
      I believe, that a member was chosen to dispose of Regulus, and that that member was Lucius. Voldemort, wishing to test the loyalty of Lucius, sent the Malfoy out to track down and kill Regulus. Under the threat of death to his soon-to-be wife, Narcissa, Lucius found Regulus. However, Lucius could not bring himself to kill one whom he thought of as a younger brother (especially with Lucius being an only child). I think that Lucius helped Regulus to hide, perhaps, in the beginning, to even live out his days as a Muggle, and reported back to Voldemort that Regulus was dead. Thus, it is believed that Regulus is "dead" in the year 1979, which would make Lucius twenty-five at the time of Regulus' death, and Regulus would have been eighteen at the time of his death.
      After seeing what steps were taken to ensure Regulus' silence, Lucius realized that there was no backing out of the Death Eaters, and he remained a member to protect his family, unable to bear the idea of those he loved having to become Muggles in order to hide and to survive the wrath of the Dark Lord.

      Okay, so it's ONLY in the movies... but I love the pimp cane soooooo much. I want it! Literally! You can buy the thing!
      Anyway, I believe that Lucius' cane is more than a mere place for him to stash his wand (as freakin' awesome as that is). I think that the snake headed cane is actually needed for Lucius to walk comfortably. He is a bit unsteady on his feet in the "Chamber of Secrets" film, when he advanced on Harry in the Hogwarts Hall. I came up with a theory that his right knee had been shattered during his earlier years of service to Voldemort, perhaps as a warning. I have wondered if perhaps Voldemort learned that Lucius aided Regulus in hiding himself, and as punishment, nearly crippled Lucius. Voldemort then would have had another member of the Death Eaters find and kill Regulus (or kill him himself) as a harsh warning to all who tried to double cross the Dark Lord.
      It would also fit with what J.K. Rowling has said about the character of Regulus (that he is, in fact, dead).
      Thus, that's why Lucius uses that cane, to aid himself in walking, aside from the fact that the snake head is his wand as well.
      But yeah, as I said, the cane's not in the books... *tear* I love that cane. Actually, I can't remember Lucius' wand from the books at all... I should go back and re-read that scene with the prophecy again...

      I think that Lucius really does care for his family. As I stated, Lucius is protecting his family by serving Voldemort as a Death Eater. I think however, that Lucius drew a personality trait from Abraxas Malfoy. He cares for Draco, yes, but he thinks that by being strict and expecting his son to excel, that Draco will turn into a competant man, much like he himself is. I think Lucius attributes this to his own upbringing, but he realizes the faults which Abraxas had as a father, and tries to better himself by not making those same mistakes. Lucius goes to Draco's Quidditch matches, at least a good deal of them I think, and at least up until the end of "Chamber of Secrets" because after that, I don't think he was very welcome at Hogwarts. He obviously dotes on his son, the new Quidditch stuff as an example, though perhaps not as much as Narcissa. He wants Draco to have the best so that he can be the best, and that shows that Lucius takes pride in his son, though he may not show it. It is obvious that Narcissa loves Draco, as is evident from the oath she makes Snape swear to in "Half Blood Prince" thus, why would Lucius feel any different? A lot of people think that Lucius is an abusive father, even Jason Isaacs himself draws that image from the scripts and the books, but I think it's not so much that he's abusive, as he is strict. He expects Draco to be the best because he's his son, he's a Malfoy, and thus when Draco messes up, he gets in trouble. Not really a beating, more like a lecture.
      In the deleted scene from "Chamber of Secrets" where Lucius and Draco are in the Dark Arts shop, Draco directly disobeys his father. Lucius told him NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING, and Draco goes and touches something. Honestly, that's a direct disobediance of what his father said, thus he got the shit scared out of him when Lucius' cane suddenly slammed down right next to his hand (or head when he touched something AGAIN). Don't you just love that "deer caught in the headlights" look which Draco gives each time? Lucius didn't hit him, but he wanted to make it clear that Draco was disobeying, and that he would not tolerate disobedience in the least.
      Take note of this directly quoted passage from the "Chamber of Secrets" novel.

The man who followed could only be Draco's father. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco."
Malfoy, who had reached for a glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."
"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.
"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Harry Potter got a Numbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous... famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead..." Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls. "...everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter wirth his scar and his broomstick ---"
"You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son. "And I would remind you that it is not --- prudent --- to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear --- ah, Mr. Borgin."
A stooping man has appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.
"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted --- and young Master Malfoy, too --- charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced ---"
"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling." said Mr. Malfoy.
"Selling?" The smile faded from Mr. Borgin's face.
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few --- ah --- items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call..."
Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.
"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"
Mr. Malfoy's lip curled. "I have not been visited yet. The name of Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act --- no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it ---"
Harry felt a hot surge of anger.
"---and as you can see, certain of these poisons might make it appear---"
"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see..."
"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.
"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir!"
"I hope my son will ammount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin." said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant ---"
"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still. "that may indeed be all he is fit for ---"
"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger ---"
"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.
-"Chamber of Secrets" Chapter 4: At Flourish And Blotts - Page 50-53

      So see, he's not really being mean or abusive of Draco, he's just continuing a discussion that, more likely than not, he and Draco have been having for quite some time. It seems to me that Draco tries to blame everyone else, while Lucius realizes this and wants his son to take responsibility for his failures.
      There's also the example of during the film, "Goblet of Fire" when Lucius and Draco encounter Potter, the Weasley's, and Hermionie at the Quidditch World Cup. Take note that, from watching that scene a few times, I kind of realized that Draco hurt himself. Lucius stops, holding his cane out at Draco... and Draco, not paying attention (does he ever pay attention), walks straight into the end of the cane. It's kinda funny to watch a few times... I may try watching that scene in slow motion sometime soon. So see, Lucius never does anything abusive, Draco's just disobediant and stupid... (I love Draco, don't get me wrong peoples!)
      Another side of Malfoy which many fans seem to think... is this rather slashy, child molestor side...
      Yeah... I honestly think those people can just jump off a cliff.
      For some reason, they always pair Lucius with either Draco himself (ew...) or Hermionie.... (*twitch*). Then there's those Potter pairings or, quite frequently, Snape pairings. In my opinion, the people who think this are just sick and wrong. There's no indication WHAT SO EVER that Lucius would EVER do something like that.
      And that's all I have to say on that point.

      As I have previously stated, Lucius, in my opinion, is a Death Eater out of a need to protect his family. If he had been able to leave the Death Eaters, he would have, but he fears, or knows, his fate would have been the same as that of Regulus Black. He hates Muggles, no doubt about that, but I do not believe he thinks that it betters the world by mass murder. He does Voldemort's bidding to spare Narcissa and Draco from the Dark Lord's wrath.
      As a Death Eater, he must keep up appearances with his peers. If he suddenly seems disinterested in the goals of the Dark Lord, Voldemort would learn of it and the Malfoy family might become a liability to the Dark Lord.
      He attacks the Quidditch World Cup with the others because he HAS to. Keeping up the appearance of wishing for the mass genocide of Muggles is the only way he can convince the other Death Eaters, that he is still loyal to Voldemort. When Lucius spoke out against the Dark Lord once Voldemort was defeated by the Potter child, when he claimed that he was under the Imperius Curse, Lucius left the Death Eaters. However, he knew it was not as simple as that, and for claiming such, the Malfoy family became slightly frowned upon by the other Death Eaters. In order to continue being in good standing with such powerful witches and wizards, Lucius went along with their plots against Muggles, and their work in raising Voldemort to power once more.

      Lucius, while having no true known method of aquiring money (though he does sell Dark Arts Artifacts often), is quite rich. He was, at one time, a Govenor of Hogwarts, and had excellant standing with the Minsitry of Magic's Cornellius Fudge.
      However, it is obvious that there are many in the Ministry, Arthur Weasley in particular, who Lucius would like to see go. As a prominent donator and aid of the Ministry (and to Saint Mungo's Hospital), Lucius is in a position to spy on the Ministry for the Death Eaters. When Arthur proposes his Muggle Protection Act, Lucius, of course, tries his damnedest to not get the Act passed. If he had not done this, those still loyal to Voldemort would have suspected him of turning traitor. Thus, all he had done to protect his family would have been in vein.
      While still hating Muggles, Lucius does possess a hatred of the Weasley family as well. He finds that, as Pure Bloods, they should not be associating themselves with Muggles.

      This subject is a bit tricky to explain... but I can do it. Lucius possessed the diary of Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort, as one of the Dark Artifacts that were hidden within the walls of Malfoy Manor. It was actually given to Lucius by Voldemort, to guard and protect.
      I believe, in an elaborate plot to raise his standings with the Death Eaters, Lucius placed the diary in Ginny Weasley's cauldron for two reasons.
      First, Lucius realizes that if the diary is returned to Hogwarts, and the Chamber of Secrets is opened, the Death Eaters and Voldemort would be pleased that such chaos and destruction was brought upon the Muggles of the school.
      Second, Lucius isn't stupid. He knows that Harry Potter is a smart boy. There is a very real risk that Potter would figure out that the diary belonged to Tom Riddle, and that Potter could destroy the diary itself. Lucius has an inkling of the diary's importance, that perhaps it is a Horcrux, and that, if it was destroyed, a portion of Voldemort's soul would be destroyed as well. It's not known if Lucius new the true nature of the diary or not, but for someone who dabbles in the Dark Arts and has so many Dark Art Artifacts... how could he not, in some form or fashion, know this? The destruction of the diary would, in turn, lead Lucius closer to his goal of breaking himself and his family free of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. If the diary was destroyed, he could easily explain that Harry Potter was growing in power, and that he was a threat to Voldemort, something that every Death Eater already knew. They would admire him for trying to dispose of so many Muggles, as well as for attempting to end the life of "The Boy Who Lived".
      One thing about "Chamber of Secrets" however still has me a bit baffled. Dobby. We all know that Dobby was mistreated, hated, and that his life at Malfoy Manor sucked beyond belief. However, what if Dobby was another portion of Lucius' carefully constructed plan? Dobby was allowed to learn Lucius' plan, so as to help Potter in unraveling the mystery of the diary. Yet, I believe that Dobby's freedom was not something which Lucius had counted on. Dobby was a well trained House Elf, and probably a very important part of Malfoy Manor's help (hired or not). Harry freeing Dobby DID in fact enrage Lucius, however, Riddle's diary being destroyed did not. Lucius acted angry because he had to. When Dobby was freed, he wasn't acting.

      As I have previously stated, Lucius serves Voldemort out of fear for his family's lives. In "Order of the Phoenix", Lucius is chosen to lead the Death Eaters in obtainning the prophecy for a few reasons.
      First, Lucius had allowed the diary to be destroyed... and that pissed Voldemort off.
      Secondly, Voldemort's notion of the man's loyalty was wanning. He gave the mission to Lucius in order for the elder Malfoy to prove himself once more.
      And third, Lucius knew the Ministry of Magic better than anyone. As a frequent visitor to the Ministry, he knew how the system there worked. Who was on guard, where things were kept, the best ways to get in and out with the prophecy without getting caught.
      He did this, like everything else, to be in good standing with the Dark Lord. However, things didn't go as planned and in the ensuing firefight (magic fight actually) he was arrested and sent to Azkaban prison.

      This small portion is mostly about Draco, but it helps to back up my theory of Lucius as a man out to protect his loved ones.
      It is evident from "Half Blood Prince" that Draco takes his father's place as the Malfoy envoy of the Death Eaters. Narcissa is worried for her son, and thus gains the aid of Snape to protect the heir of the Malfoy line.
      Draco sees the job given to him by Voldemort (killing Dumbledore) as a means to not only return the status of the Malfoy family to being loyal to the Dark Lord, but to avenge his father's name and to, in essence, protect his parents. Voldemort is obviously furious with Lucius' failed attempt to attain the prophecy, and he has probably made this quite clear to Draco. Lucius, now in Azkaban, is safe (for the time being) from Voldemort's wrath, and thus the Dark Lord has told Draco, as evidenced from "Half Blood Prince" that he must do this (kill Dumbledore) or he and his entire family would be killed.
      If Voldemort threatened Draco in such a manner, who is to say the same wasn't done to Lucius when the man joined the Death Eaters so long ago? Draco was sixteen when he was told to kill Dumbledore or face the murder of his family. Lucius would have been eighteen when told to kill Regulus (as in my opinion), or face the murder of the family he had just begun (also in my opinion).
      The similarity here... is that (in my opinion, because I don't know if Lucius killed or didn't kill or was even told to kill Regulus or not) both Malfoy's were asked to do something horrible, something both feared doing and yet feared the consequences for not doing it even more, and neither could complete their tasks. In my opinion, as stated earlier, Lucius couldn't kill Regulus so he helped the man go into such deep hiding that he was either never heard from again, or that Voldemort eventually found out and either had Regulus killed or killed him himself (then punishing Lucius via a shattered right knee for lying, but that's just for film version... YAY CANE!). Draco couldn't bring himself to take Dumbledore's life and thus, as promised to Narcissa, Snape had to step in to get the job done to spare the Malfoy family from Voldemort going on a rampage and killing them all.

      Lucius, I believe, WILL Die. It's as simple as that. However, there are many reasons why I think his death would be VERY important to the storyline.
      First, Lucius failed Voldemort. Now that Voldemort can control the Dementors, the guards of Azkaban, who's to say that Voldemort can't enter Azkaban himself and murder Lucius? Or even if he couldn't do that, have the Dementors suck the soul from Lucius, thus killing him very painfully. Killing Lucius for his failure would send a signal to the other Death Eaters that Voldemort will no longer tolerate failure in his ranks.
      Second, it sends a message to Draco. Now that Draco has taken over his father's position as a Death Eater, Voldemort will want to make sure he reigns the boy in. By killing Lucius (and perhaps even Narcissa), Voldemort can effectively make the Death Eaters themselves, Draco's family, Draco's home.
      Third, it could be the incident which pushes Draco over the edge. Many fans believe that Draco will turn to Harry's side and fight against Voldemort. While I think seeing a duel between Lucius and Draco, between father and son, would be kickass, I don't think it would follow the personalities of the characters. Draco has pride that he's the son of Lucius, and Lucius cares for Draco. I can not see them battling to the death in a climax anymore than I could see Harry and Ron fighting each other to win Hermionie's heart. It just doesn't make sense. However, if Lucius were killed by Voldemort, I think Draco would take it VERY badly and it would be enough for Draco to break all ties with the Death Eaters and with the Dark Lord, and come to the side of good, Harry's side, to avenge his father. Even if Draco didn't come to Harry's side as a result, I think that if Lucius were to be killed due to Voldemort's orders, that Draco would strike out at the Dark Lord himself. He doesn't nessicarily need Harry's help, and I don't think he's ask for it either, but he would experience the feeling of being wrong and would want vengence against Voldemort for his father's death.
      Fourth, it shows a moral. It says that no matter what, siding with evil will bring about your own downfall, even if you side with evil for the right reasons. There is no right reason for mass genocide. Are the lives of one family equal to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Muggles? Killing Lucius would be a way to throw a little hidden moral in there. Evil begets evil, and no good can ever come of evil.

      "It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter." -Lucius Malfoy "Order of the Phoenix" Page 782

      Such an important quote for Lucius to have said because it reflects WHO HE IS. As a young man, Lucius, having just married Narcissa, would have had so many dreams for the future. But by making a wrong choice, by joining the Death Eaters, he realized that all of those glorious dreams were now shattered into nothing but dust, especially after the disappearance of the Dark Lord. Lucius' dreams were dead with the rise of Voldemort in "Goblet of Fire", and life... life was what was left. Yes, during Voldemort's disappearance, Lucius was aiding the Death Eaters, but there was always that whisper of the Dark Lord's return. That whisper, Lucius could not afford to ignore. That harsh reality that everyone must face when they stop dreaming, or when they realize that by their own choices, choices to follow a path that does not lead to those dreams, they have fallen.
      Life, for Lucius, is a never ending servitude to the Dark Lord, imprisonment for evil deeds, the constant threat of death and murder hanging over his head and his family day after day, and the realization that there is nothing he could do to change his mistakes. Dreams, for Lucius, were of happy times with his family, where he could grow old and die a contented man, proud of his son and the legacy he had left behind.
      Lucius' dreams were dead, and by telling Potter this, he was conveying the knowledge that Harry was going to learn how cruel and harsh life would be with Voldemort in power. He was telling Harry to wake up... to take a stand... and he said it in such a way that the Death Eaters who had accompanied him to the Ministry of Magic (this quote took place near the end of "Order of the Phoenix") would have had no way in all the world of questioning his loyalty to Voldemort.

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