The Case Against Ludo Bagman

[Haggridd]

No: HPFGUIDX 25523

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:

> I took another look at Bagman in GoF, and now I'm REALLY convinced 
he 
> is not a minor character or just an affable idiot bungling through 
> the wizarding world.
>.
> 
> Also, there's no reason to believe Fred and George's explanation
for 
> Bagman's absence after the third task.  They state (Ch. 37) that 
> Bagman had a bet on Harry, and Bagman ran from the goblins.
> 
> This doesn't make sense.  First, how would Fred and George know 
> Bagman bet on Harry?  Well, Bagman could have told them.  But why?  
> He was always careful to conceal his efforts to help Harry
(lowering 
> his voice to a whisper, etc).  And it isn't logical that the Head
of 
> Magical games, who is also a judge, would up and tell F and G (or 
> anyone else) that he is cheating to help a contestant.  

> But let's say F and G heard this information some other way, and 
> Bagman really did bet on Harry.  The second problem is F and G say 
> the goblins play dirty and considered the result of the tournament
a 
> tie and refused to pay Bagman, so that's why he fled.  (They offer 
no 
> explanation for how they know this.)  

> 
> Finally, Harry had a dream (beginning of Ch. 9) in which Bagman 
> appears and delivers the following line:  "I give you . . .
Potter!" 
 
> 
> Cindy (wishing someone -- anyone-- cared about Bagman as much as
she 
> does)

I really enjoyed your analysis, Cindy.  I had thought that Bagman 
served simply to offer a false target of suspicion to confuse the 
situation with respect to Crouch, Sr. and Jr.  However, you still do 
not account for F&G having the knowledge that they do in your 
scenario, where Bagman is a Death Eater.  It might have been JKR 
trying to finesse an explanation about a character to whom she would 
not be returning, since his raison d'etre (deflecting suspicion from 
the Crouches) was no longer necessary.  I am most interested in your 
response.

Haggridd