Fudge - Lockhart - Florences, Slugs - Why Harry Lived - Where Dumbledore Studied

[meboriqua at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 19525

The way the law is dealt with in the wizarding world is a very 
interesting issue.  It seems to me that the MoM often uses "guilty 
until proven innocent" tactics instead of the other way around.  

Sending Sirius off to Azkaban without a trial is definitely a panicked 
response to a dire situation.  I suppose it reminds me of McCarthyism 
here in the States when so many people were blacklisted simply because 
our government decided that *any* association (however distant) with 
certain other systems of governments was bad, bad, bad and had to be 
stopped.  As a result, many people panicked and many innocent people 
suffered needlessly.  Our government thought it was being "American", 
and was therefore, doing the right thing.  Fudge (who I am disliking 
more and more) believes that he is also doing the right thing when he 
makes hasty decisions.  He believed that he was saving time and saving 
the wizarding world by quickly putting people behind bars (as was 
Crouch Sr.).   

I also think the MoM is not the best government around.  Incompetence 
and corruption seem to be lurking under the surface.  Hiring people 
like Bertha Jorkins and Ludo Bagman are examples of this, as neither 
of them seemed to be good at their jobs.  Bagman in particular was 
certainly popular enough, but never got the job done - why was he so 
out of the loop when the Dark Mark went into the air in GoF?  And 
Arthur Weasley, who works so hard but never gets that promotion he 
deserves?  That definitely happens.

Even Fudge himself is more concerned with looking good than doing good 
sometimes.  Accepting such large donations from someone who was a 
known DE?  How superficial!  This is something that happens with 
politicians all the time (well, not the DE part).  JKR seems to be 
poking fun at governments in general here, even though Fudge's 
behavior at the end of GoF is not funny at all.  Politicians have 
always been accused of taking money from "shady" people.

Of course in the end, a little power goes a long way in the heads of 
those in charge (Mayor Giuliani being my favorite example, but I'll 
say no more).  Fudge is, as Dumbledore said, too concerned with his 
position to see things as they really are.  That is something that has 
done endless damage in the Muggle world.  I'm very interested to see 
what will happen to Fudge.

Even though in HP the Muggle laws seem to be a bit different than 
wizarding ones, I'm not sure that is so.  Frank Bryce may have been 
cleared, but it certainly didn't stop him from being avoided by his 
town ever after.  Hagrid will always be suspected of doing wrong, and 
it seems that Harry, while we know him to be innocent, is quick to be 
suspected by his peers of being hungry for the spotlight or an 
associate of Voldie's.  Proving one's innocence (and guilt) seems to 
be yet another theme of JKR's.

I've never been so rambly!  I'm ready to be torn apart now.

--jenny from ravenclaw********