Fudge: Ever-so-Evil or Bumbling Fool?

[xp39c]

No: HPFGUIDX 42959

Phyllis wrote:

> At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I *don't* think it's obvious 
> that Fudge is ever-so-evil.  I think JKR is intentionally trying to 
> make us vascillate between Fudge as ever-so-evil and Fudge as 
> bumbling fool.
> 
> The first time we're introduced to Fudge, he's described 
as "wearing 
> a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a 
> long black cloak, and pointed purple boots.  Under his arm he 
carried 
> a lime-green bowler" (CoS, US paperback ed., pgs. 260-261).  Sounds 
> like a cross between a vampire and a clown to me!  The "pinstriped 
> suit" suggests a proper businessperson; the "scarlet tie" - perhaps 
> suggesting a scarlet A?; the long black cloak - often used in a 
> negative context to describe Snape, which other listies have 
> suggested supports the <Snape as vampire> theory; the "pointed 
purple 
> boots" and "lime-green bowler" sound clown-like (IMHO).
> 
> And then his actions - in CoS, he sends Hagrid to Azkaban with no 
> compelling evidence, but in the beginning of PoA, he seems 
genuinely 
> concerned about Harry's safety after he runs away from the 
Dursley's 
> and also smooths over the Aunt Marge inflation incident.  But then 
at 
> the end of GoF, he defends the Death Eaters that Harry names and 
uses 
> a Dementor to suck out Fake!Moody's soul so he can't give evidence 
to 
> the Ministry.
> 
> I think the contradictions in both Fudge's manner of dress and in 
his 
> actions are a deliberate attempt on JKR's part to make us unsure of 
> his intentions.  And I, for one, have completely fallen for it!  I 
> think it's equally likely that Fudge is "blinded by the love of the 
> office he holds" and isn't accepting the fact that Voldemort is 
back 
> because it's creating "disruption in his comfortable and ordered 
> world" or that Fudge is actually in Voldemort's pocket.  I rate the 
> odds at 50/50 that Fudge will turn out ever-so-evil.

If Fudge were with Voldemort, he would have already been on his side 
before Voldemort's fall.  We know that Fudge was made Minister of 
Magic after Crouch Jr. was caught.  What if the torture of the 
Longbottoms was a deliberate plan to put Fudge instead of Crouch Sr. 
in the Minister post?

It's not inconceivable that Crouch Jr. and the Lestranges got caught 
on purpose just so they can discredit Crouch Sr.  The Lestranges were 
known DEs anyway, so they might as well have done something 
productive before going to Azkaban.

This would explain why so many DEs were not caught after Voldemort's 
fall.  Fudge could have convinced others that the Imperius defense 
was legitimate.

Fudge could also become a candidate for Voldemort's "most loyal 
servant at Hogwarts" comment.

--Hei Lun