What happened to Lucius Malfoy after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Jason Isaacs has a theory

Whether you’re talking about the books or the films, Harry Potter has a number of characters who see some sort of redemption before the story is through. That’s especially true of the Malfoy family. Although Draco and his parents by no means become benevolent or selfless in just a couple of books, they do wind up seeing the error of following Lord Voldemort. And even if it’s out of self-interest, the Malfoys wind up playing a huge role in the Dark Lord’s defeat.

Fans mostly see this transition through Draco and his mother, Narcissa, who helps Harry escape Lord Voldemort’s clutches alive in exchange for information about her son. The one Malfoy we never get much further insight into, however, is Lucius. Following his failure to obtain an important prophecy at the end of Order of the Phoenix, Lucius is sent to Azkaban for a while until Voldemort breaks him out, although he doesn’t play much of a role in the series going forward. And although he departs from the Battle of Hogwarts with his family after that climactic fight, it’s unclear what he’s thinking as he leaves behind his long career as one of Voldemort’s Death Eaters.

Actor Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius in the films, has thoughts on where his character’s mind was during the final installment of  the series. Speaking to Syfy Wire, Isaacs believes that Lucius was “broken” after Order of the Phoenix — and that he was in a lose/lose situation no matter which side he chose at the end.

"I think he was broken in Azkaban completely, and he was broken even by having to go there because the dream that he had held out for a long time of being Voldemort’s right-hand man and being celebrated as having kept the flame alive. [That notion] was shattered pretty quickly when Voldemort came back."

Isaacs brings up Lucius’ disheveled appearance in Deathly Hallows, raising the possibility that the Malfoy patriarch had begun drinking too much. The way Isaacs saw it, Lucius was in a no-win situation. Given everything he’d done, the man no longer had a place on either side of the war. “Were the Death Eaters to triumph, there’s nothing good waiting for him. And, of course, if the Death Eaters lose, there’s nothing good waiting for him. That’s why that last shot of him is him just stuck in the doorway there with his wife and son disappearing in the distance and Voldemort disappearing into Hogwarts. [Lucius is] thinking, ‘What the hell do I do?’”

That’s certainly the impression one gets watching the Malfoys disappear into the night, but where did they go? Well, there’s no concrete answer, but Isaacs has a theory. “I think what would’ve happened afterwards, is that he would become a shell of himself,” Isaacs concluded. “His money would protect him because money always protects people, and I think he would’ve lost — if he ever had any — the respect of his wife and his son. Society would shun him, and he would cower inside his mansion and drink himself into an early grave. And frankly, deserve it.”

Ouch. Lucius’ fate is probably one of the crueler ones among the Harry Potter characters, but Isaacs is probably right to say he deserves it. And it could have been worse. Lucius could have — and probably should have — gotten a one-way ticket back to Azkaban after all was said and done. That would have been a fitting end for his character.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels