Why are the Malfoys so important?

Question

Throughout the entire series of Harry Potter we are constantly reminded that the Malfoys are a very important magical family. I don't think it is entirely due to the fact that they are pure-bloods, since so are the Weasleys, and nobody takes that into account. At some point I thought it had something to do with the fact that they were really wealthy, but I don't think that's all there is to it since Chamber of Secrets once Dumbledore returns to office he says that he "spoke to the other governors' families and they were all under the impression that you would curse their families if they refused" (to kick him out of Hogwarts), so:

Why are the Malfoys so important/feared in the magical world?

Possible dupe of "What exactly do the Malfoys do for a living?"? — Valorum, Dec 02 '16 at 23:46
A) Ancestry. B) Money. In other words, exactly the same reasons why important families in the real-life UK are important. — Rand al'Thor, Dec 02 '16 at 23:56
@Luiso - This isn't a bad question in my opinion and it has a good answer. Perhaps if you rephrased it to be clearer, sound less opinion-based and reflect the good answer, you might get more +1s. — ThruGog, Dec 03 '16 at 05:52

score 11 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 16 '20 at 09:31

Pottermore indicates that like most wealthy and ambitious families they strive to remain close to the levers of power but not coveting the (decidedly exposed) top spot, preferring the role of éminence grise.

The substantial wealth at their disposal ensured them considerable (and much resented) influence at the Ministry for generations to come, though no Malfoy has ever aspired to the role of Minister for Magic. It is often said of the Malfoy family that you will never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the guilty wand. Independently wealthy, with no need to work for a living, they have generally preferred the role of power behind the throne, happy for others to do the donkey work and to take the responsibility for failure. They have helped finance many of their preferred candidates’ election campaigns, which have (it is alleged) included paying for dirty work such as hexing the opposition.

^{_{Pottermore - The Malfoy Family}}

It is often said of the Malfoy family that you will never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the guilty wand <<< This. The Malfoys have no compunction blackmailing, bribing, intimidating, or physically threatening others. They're essentially white-collar Mob bosses. — DavidS, Dec 05 '16 at 17:07

Why are the Malfoys so important?

1 Answers1