The Power structure and Dementors WAS: Snape & Dementors

[MMMfanfic at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 30183

Tons of spelling mistakes in the previous reply -- doesn't bode well 
for my upcoming GRE.  Sorry guys.

I think Pippin has a point -- two (or one) school teachers vs 
Minister of Magic is not really a fair fight.  I think non-Snape fans 
do ask him to do too much sometimes.  Remember that Snape doesn't 
exactly has a pristine record and probably was still in a daze given 
the rise of Voldemort.  A good case can be made of Snape experiencing 
some sirius trauma :-).

Also, I think no one has anticipated that the Dementor would have 
given Crouch the Kiss the moment it enters the room.  Take Crouch to 
Azkaban, may be but not executing him.

And even assuming that Snape did bring Fudge and the Dementor into 
the castle, the good Slytherin still has plenty of justification.
1. Better the Minister knows and acts quickly than arguing about the 
Dementor.  Snape was eager to convince MoM to act and principle has 
to be set aside for the moment.
2. More a question than an explanation -- but I have the feeling from 
re-reading that Snape doesn't seem to take the Dementor as seriously 
as other characters.  Any thoughts?

Pippin and Cindy's discussion has raised three other important 
questions:
1. Is Dementor so out of control that even a Minister of Magic can't 
control it?  In PoA, they tried to give Harry a Kiss; in GoF, 
Crouch.  Or is something more sinister going on?  i.e. Fudge is evil, 
anyone?

2. Hogwarts doesn't seem to have any special status afforded by law 
like Universities in real life (academic freedom etc).  In fact, from 
GoF that it implies Ministry interfers quite a lot re Fudge's quote 
in the same chapter.  Can Dumbledore overrule Fudge, the Minister of 
Magic, at least in Hogwarts?  If Fudge wants to fire a teacher, can 
Dumbledore refuse?  What is the relationship between the MoM and the 
Board of Governors?  Education department and the Board of Governors 
in real life?  May be we need an essay on this.

3. Power of Minister of Magic.  There is seemingly no boundary to 
MoM's power and Fudge can give any order he wants.  No balance of 
power, no parliament we know of.  Will Voldemort try to place Fudge 
under Imperius Curse in OoP?