serious speculation (was RE: [HPforGrownups] Sirius)

[aprilgc at ivillage.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15111

One of my lost owls finally came back - but it failed to deliver my 
message.  I hope all the "wrotes" are still in the right place. <g>
     > Monika wrote: 
     > 
     > >But this raises another question: doesn't anyone find it 
strange that he was supposed to be Voldy's second in command if he was 
only 21 or 22 in 1981? 

     Amy wrote: 

     > Good point.  I think we hear the "You-Know-Who's right hand man" 
thing from Stan Shunpike, no?  Or is it from Fudge? 

     Fudge says something like that, too: 
     "I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing... 
     but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to 
     think how quickly he'll raise again..." 
     Of course "most devoted servant" is not exactly the same thing 
     as "right hand man", but it implies that Fudge believes (or wants 
     to make us/the wizarding world believe) that Sirius was not only 
     very close to Voldy, but also very high in the hierarchy. 

     > If the former, I think it might not be fact, but the 
embellishment of legend.  Stan, who is too young to remember the actual 
event, got the story many times removed, and he's laying it on thick 
for Harry. 

     There is certainly something like legend or myth involved, but 
     it seems that someone spread the rumor that Sirius was indeed 
     Voldy's right hand man. What made people believe that Sirius was 
     so powerful a wizard? I still don't get it... 

     Monika 



First, I think the reference was "most devoted servant" - who turned 
out to be Crouch, jr. -- so I don't think age is the issue. 
Does anyone remember Fudge's position during the Sirius arrest?  Was it 
"magical law enforcement (he mentioned it in PoA, I think when he and 
Harry are talking after the knight bus)?  Is it possible that Fudge is 
an undercover DE? 
As a law enforcer (if that's right), he would have been in the perfect 
position to point the finger (or at least suspicion) at someone who 
wasn't BC, jr. -- and who better than Sirius (James probably would have 
been too much of a stretch). 
In my current train 
So, Fudge starts planting these seeds of doubt about Sirius just in 
case things go wrong (attributed to good sleuthing or a reliable 
informant). Then things Do go wrong.  PP tells him where he'll be able 
to "catch" Sirius (so Fudge can be there to help insure PP's escape/
"death" and SB's blame). Got one (SB). Next Fudge has got to find out 
if V. might still be around, but how to do that?  How better than to 
send V.'s "real" most devoted servant?  So he sends BC, jr. to get info 
from the Longbottoms.  If jr's successful and they get V. back, Fudge 
is the one who helped arrange his return = more power = pathway to top 
of whatever power structure V. defines. If jr.'s not successful (the 
Longbottoms don't talk), Fudge steps in and arrests jr.  BC, sr. will 
certainly send jr. to the Dementors without much fuss (like trial & 
interrogation), and Fudge gets to destroy BC, sr. and improve his own 
reputation at the same time = more power = pathway to Minister of 
Magic.
a.