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In the Harry Potter series Lucius Malfoy is depicted quite early as one of the first Death-eaters. As a Death-eater, we can assume that he has probably used unforgivable curses many times (I wrote probably because, even though I don't remember that the use of such a curse is ever mentioned, in the second movie he uses Avada Kedavra towards Harry so insensitively that one can assume that it is mainstream for him).

But the use of such a curse is supposed to be worth a one-way ticket to Azkaban; my question is: why did Malfoy never get arrested for his crimes? At least, shouldn't he be fired from the Ministry of Magic if we consider his relations with Voldemort?

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He does.

At the beginning of the 6th Movie (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) Harry is reading a newspaper, in which it briefly shows an article about Lucius Malfoy being sent to Azkaban with a life sentence.

He is later broken out of Azkaban, which is why we see him throughout the course of the 7th movie.

After the events of the 5th movie (failing to retrieve the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries) he falls out of favor with Voldemort, which is why he is sent to Azkaban (Voldemort refuses to use his influence to keep him out), and why his house is used as a makeshift prison to hold hostages during movie 7.

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  • Wow, it seems that I forgot a whole part of the story... I have to read again all the books now :P Thank you Mike ;)
    – dounyy
    Jan 7, 2016 at 10:23
  • @dounyy To be fair, the only reason that I know this is because I watched all of the Harry Potter films recently, and I happened to pause the film on the shot of the newspaper containing the story of his conviction. I think the books show Draco making a passing comment that it is Harry's fault his father was arrested, but the fact that Lucius was sent to Azkaban and the reason why was slightly glossed over in both the film and the books.
    – Mike.C.Ford
    Jan 7, 2016 at 10:43
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    But what about earlier? He has clearly been a highly-ranking Death-eater before the story even began. I thought it was that time the question asks about.
    – Napoleon Wilson ♦
    Jan 7, 2016 at 12:48
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    @NapoleonWilson Basic answer: He convinced the necessary people that he hadn't been a willing supporter of Voldemort. Voldemort had a vast army during the First Wizarding War, and a lot of those were witches and wizards placed under the Imperius curse (allowing another wizard to control them completely). When Voldemort failed to kill Harry, and his power was broken, all of those people were released; the Ministry had a difficult time determining who had actually been Imperiused and who was just saying they had been.
    – Anthony Grist
    Jan 7, 2016 at 16:25
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    It likely didn't hurt that the Malfoys were a very old and very rich family, and that Lucius was always willing to make donations (usually in exchange for favours from Ministry officials - including being on rather good terms with Fudge when he was Minister for Magic). Or, as you'd normally call them, bribes.
    – Anthony Grist
    Jan 7, 2016 at 16:29

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