Fudge's version of the Sirius/Peter encounter

[dicentra_spectabilis_alba]

No: HPFGUIDX 32748

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Liz Sager" <ChaserChick at h...> wrote:
> 
> >"dicentra_spectabilis_alba" wrote:
> >In PA, Fudge says that when he arrived on the scene, shortly after the
> >blast that "killed" Pettigrew, Sirius was laughing.
> >
> >Is this an embellishment of Fudge's or was Sirius laughing (or
> >something similar) and Fudge misinterpreted what he saw?
> 
> Fudge seems to be the type of man that would embellish that kind of
thing, 
> whether it was for motives or other things. OTOH, Sirius might have
been 
> really laughing, though I fail to find the humor in the situation. I
guess 
> you had to be there and not die :P

Which brings up another point: how did Sirius survive a blast at close
range that killed 12 muggles who were, presumably, farther away from
ground zero than he was?  Natural wizard durability?

It's also possible that Sirius, believing that Rat Pettigrew had
accidentally blown himself up, was laughing at the irony of it all.
> 
> >If the former, did Fudge have an ulterior motive for making Sirius out
> >to be the villian? Could it be linked to his refusal to take
> >Voldemort's return seriously?
> 
> Once again, Fudge seems to me the kind of man that refuses to look
past the 
> end of his nose unless someone reaches up and grabs that nose and
stretches 
> it out a few feet. Its easier to deny that Voldemort has been
resurrected 
> than to seriously investigate.  
> 
> My point is I wonder how someone like Fudge got to be in charge. *I* 
> certainly wouldn't have voted for him (if that's how they get the 
> MoM...*holds up her "Arthur Weasley for MoM" sign*)
> 
> Liz
> 

First, I'll join the "Arthur Weasley for MoM" march, if you don't
mind. That said, I agree that Fudge is your basic self-serving,
short-sighted politician.  But characters in this series are rarely
who they appear to be.  He might be closer in disposition to Rat
Pettigrew, who holds to the "long live the victor" method of survival.
 Or he might be something else entirely.

Sigh... as with everything, wait and see...