Ludo Bagman: missing DE? ( was Re: Snape, Spy and Assassin)

[pennyspace]

No: HPFGUIDX 47015

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "theresnothingtoit" <mi_shell16 at h...> 
wrote:
> 
> Why is everyone convinced that Snape is the DE that has left 
> Voldemort forever.  It is just so, so, obvious, so Agatha 
Chirstie.  
> The readers are ment to go - ah-ha, I'm so clever that I managed to 
> work out who those three Death Eaters were.  But there is someone 
> else who disappears at the end of GoF.  Someone else who is 
slightly 
> suspect, who *would* be fool enough not to turn up when his tattoo 
> burned.  Ludo Bagman.
>  
>  -----------

me:

I also believe that there is more to Ludo Bagman, he could quite 
possibly be one of the missing Death Eaters.  However, adding an 
extra person to the mix makes for some interesting speculation.  With 
four contenders (Snape, Karkaroff, Bagman and Crouch) for those three 
places, if Bagman *is* one of them, who has been left out? And why? 

We have Barty Crouch Jr. missing, and presumably he is the "most 
faithful servant" who has "already re-entered" Voldemort's service.
Voldemort goes on to say " He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, 
and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived 
tonight..." GoF pg 565

It did cross my mind that Snape might be this "most faithful 
servant", but I think it unlikely, since it was Crouch!Moody who 
helped Harry get to the Portkey!cup.

So that leaves the one "too cowardly to return" and the one who has 
left Voldemort forever.  Snape, Karkaroff and Bagman. If we assume 
Bagman is too cowardly to return, then Snape or Karkaroff is lost to 
Voldemort forever.  Perhaps if say that Karkaroff is lost forever, 
what of Snape? In this scenario perhaps Voldemort does *not* consider 
Snape to be Death Eater any longer, since his defection to Dumbledore 
and thus does not mention him.

If Snape was the one who is lost forever, and Bagman is too cowardly, 
I wonder at Voldemort not mentioning Karkaroff here with the missing.

Of course this is all speculation arising from the *possible* 
inclusion of Ludo Bagman here.  It's quite possible he isn't one, at 
least not yet. <g> Or he *is* one, but Voldemort does *not* mention 
him in front of the others, perhaps keeping a ministry 'ace' up his 
sleeve.

I do find Bagman's character suspicious for several reasons.  First, 
there is the accusation of being a Death Eater.  He was found to be 
passing on information to Voldemort's supporters.  He claimed 
ignorance, and was let off.  Add to this Winky's assertion that 
Bagman is "A very bad wizard!" Gof pg 333.  Perhaps Crouch has 
harboured these views since that trial, and is resentful that he 
couldn't get Bagman sent to Azkaban.  It is also quite possible that 
he had other reasons to consider Ludo Bagman a "bad wizard" that 
weren't revealed.

I also find Bagman secretly offering to help Harry win the tournament 
highly suspect.  At first glance, it seems to be a kind of red 
herring, as it turns out that Crouch!Moody is the one helping Harry 
win, but after thinking over it, it seems a strange red herring, as 
it can only be seen as that *after* Harry has been taken to the 
graveyard, and it is explained that Voldemort needed him to win.  So 
to me, while it seems a red herring on the surface, and is easily 
explained by his gambling problems with the goblins, I have found 
myself wondering if there was possibly more to it.  If in fact the 
goblins and the money problems were a kind of 'smoke screen' to 
Bagman's real motive... of helping Lord Voldemort. 

All speculation of course, and just some thoughts I have been toying 
with :)

PennyR