Dumbledore and the "Old Crowd

[Kimberly]

No: HPFGUIDX 13642

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Betty Landers <landers at e...> wrote:
> Hello all!  Coming out of deep lerkdom to bring up a question.
> Reading all this discussion of Sirius and the fifth question about 
the
> old crowd made me think of someone who Dumbledore mentions and we've
> heard his name a couple times, but only in passing. Mundungus 
Fletcher
> (sp?).  Book 2: Arthur Weasley is checking for illegal (misused) 
muggle
> stuff and rades Fletcher's place, and Fletcher tries to curse him. 
 
Book
> 4: Toward the beginning, just before they get to HOgwarts, we here 
Percy
> talking about all the howlers and stuff he's been getting after the
> incident in the woods, and he mentions in passing that Fletcher has
> tried to take out a claim on a 12 bedroom tent or something like 
that.
> HOwever, according to Percy, Fletcher was sleeping under a cloak 
propped
> up with sticks.  Also in book 4: Toward the end, when Dumbledore is
> sending Sirius to alert the "old crowd", he specifically mentions
> Fletcher.
> What, in your opinion, does this little bit of information suggest 
about
> Fletcher?  Is it even the same person?  Why might Dumbledore trust 
him?
> D you think Fletcher has always mistrusted the ministry?  General
> speculation?
> OK, going back to the land of Lerkdom and waiting for your ideas.


Hey all!  I felt the need to pipe up, as I've been intrigued by 
this character as well.  I've decided I quite like him.  In fact, I've 
decided to adopt his name for my dog, when I get a dog, which will 
probably not happen any time soon (but there's no harm in planning 
ahead, right?)  In CoS, Arthur does say he's making raids, but what he 
says is:  "Nine Raids.  Nine!  And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put 
a hex on me when my back was turned..."

It doesn't necessarily follow that Fletcher was the one being raided 
(although I wouldn't rule it out), and it doesn't say what kind of hex 
(could've been a giggling hex or the jelly-legs or something fun).  I 
like to imagine him as a crotchety old man sort of version of Fred and 
George or the Marauders - one of the good guys, but a trickster, and 
maybe quirky and exhasperating, and as he's gotten older, he doesn't 
quite feel the rules apply to him, as an honoured  veteran of VWI.  
You know what I mean?  I think he and Alastor Moody are old drinking 
buddies, and I hope they get the British equivalent of Jack Klugman to 
play him (whoever *that* may be).

Actually, even if it was his house they were raiding, I still like to 
think of him this way.  I mean the twins (or was it Ron?) said that if 
Arthur raided the Burrow he'd have to arrest himself, so good old Gus 
(that's what I plan to call the puppy, for short, unless Fletch suits 
him better) could be just one of those guys who makes joke stuff like 
the biting teacups, but he's naughty enough to do it with muggle 
teacups, which would, of course, violate the Muggle Protection Act.
Basically, I think Fletcher's a good guy with a mischevious streak.

kimberly,
who really wants a dog now