TBAY: Operative!Arthur Meets Imperius!Arthur (WAS TBAY: Arthur Weasley With

[Veronica]

No: HPFGUIDX 45330

Cindy stood up from her deck chair on the Imperius!Arthur Trimaran 
and walked off as the steel drums played a jazzy rendition of 
"Celebrate."

Veronica, though, remained sitting, her brow furrowed, and 
looking altogether as if she was in pain from thinking too 
much. Suddenly, the flash came back into her eyes, 
and she jumped up, chasing Cindy around the corner.

"Come around already?" Cindy asked with a hopeful grin.

"No," Veronica, answered, "but I had an idea anyway."

Cindy looked doubtful, but decided there was no harm in listening 
to the newcomer. "Let's hear it." 

"Well," Veronica started, shyly. "I think we're looking at 
this the wrong way. Who says that Imperious!Arthur and 
Operative!Arthur are mutually exclusive?"

Cindy stared at Veronica with a touch of disbelief and concern. 
"How long have you been on this ship anyway? You know, you don't 
have to sit in the sun all day. I think perhaps it's getting to 
you--I just explained."

"Well, yes, I know," Veronica answered, even more hesitantly. 
"But just sit back down for another minute and let me see if 
I can explain . . . . "

"Well," Cindy thought aloud. "You did listen to my ideas . . . 
Okay, what have you got?" she replied, climbing onto the 
railing, ready to listen.

"Well, first, maybe in the past Elkins has been a bit . . . unstable, 
but 
I really think she was on to something this time. You know, 
it's a fine line between genius and crazy, so maybe she 
crossed the line this once."

"No, Arthur is supposed to be this low-level bureaucrat who doesn't 
even make enough money to keep his children in proper robes and 
wands. So why would Dumbledore think Arthur could 
contact 'those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as 
Cornelius' and could do so 'discreetly,'" Cindy asked. 

"I see what you're saying," Veronica replied, "but there are 
other ways you can read that. You said yourself, 'And he 
seems to be awfully well-connected at the Ministry.' Look 
at all the people he KNOWS! 

"Arthur is one of those outgoing guys who has friends everywhere! 
He has contacts in several different departments. Just look at 
the scene in GoF where he and the kids are sitting in front of 
their tent before the World Cup. It seems like everyone that 
walks by waves and greets him. That man has a finger in every 
pie of the MOM. Think how useful that would be to Dumledore!"

"That's what I'm saying," Cindy told Veronica, as patiently 
as she could. "He has too many contacts, too much access, 
to be just a low-level employee of the minstry."

"I agree!" Veronica replied. Smiling as Cindy looked at her 
as one might look at an asylum inmate, running around the room 
calling himself Napoleon.

"See, I'm not denying that there might be more to Arthur than 
we have seen. In fact, the idea of Auror!Arthur is kinda 
growing on me. That's why I have a special section of the 
ship set aside just for fans to Auror!Arthur. That's the 
beauty of Imperius!Arthur, it plays well with so many others! 
I like the idea that he was a very powerful guy around the MoM 
during the Voldemort years, but there is no reason why you 
can't mix that with the idea that he is tortured about his past 
(*cough* Imperius *cough*) and that is why he has 'retired' to 
a quiet life in Muggle Artifacts. The two don't have to be 
mutually exclusive."

"Well, maybe . . . ." Cindy replied, looking doubtful. 
"But like I said before--this idea of Arthur under the 
Imperius curse just doesn't bang! How is this suppose 
to have any impact on the final outcome of the books?"

"Aha!" Veronica added with a smile. "I think it will have 
a tremendous amount of impact. In fact, I think this little 
tidbit will lead to final downfall of one of the most evil, 
most dispised Death Eaters!"

"Okay," Cindy answered, standing back up. "That's it! You're as 
nutty as Elkins!"

"Nutty like a squirrel!" Veronica announced triumphantly. 
"Hear me out . . . ." She waited until Cindy had sat again, 
though looking quite warily at Veronica as she did so. 

"Think about this, the 'good' guys have a tendency in these books of 
helping 
those who are doubting themselves. In PoA (US, HB 132), when Snape 
tells Lupin not to trust Neville to do anything right, Lupin makes 
a point of doing just that--to help Neville build his self 
confidence. And 
Dumbledore is contastly trying to help Hagrid. In the very first 
chapter of the whole series, McGonagall implies that Hagrid is not 
the most trustworthy, but Dumbledore often gives him important 
tasks--bringing Harry to Privet Drive and collecting the Stone from 
Gringotts. He 
gives him a promotion to CoMC teacher and supports him both 
after the Hippogriff accident and after Rita's revelation about 
his ancestry. 

"If Arthur does still harbor some guilt or 
self-doubt concerning being Imperiused, doesn't it sound 
like Dumbledore to trust him, and even to give him a chance 
to prove is worth, both to himself and to anyone else who 
might still be harboring doubts? I think so anwyay.

"There has been a lot of talk about second chances and proving 
yourself in these books. Snape got a second chance. Sirius 
'kinda' got a second chance. Harry has been given a number 
of chances to prove himself, like in the climax of PS/SS. 
Dumbledore taught 
him (or let him find for himself) enough to allow him to face 
Voldemort. Some might argue that the same happened in CoS. 
Personally, I think that is a major theme of the whole series. 
Voldemort in GoF was (unintentionally) allowing Harry to 
prove himself. Hagrid has been allowed a number of chances 
to prove himself. This is really common. 

"That said--I think 
Arthur will be given a chance to prove himself before this 
is over. One, because he is a very lovable character; many 
of us think he deserves more. Two, I think there really is 
something between him and Lucius that must be resolved. The 
scene in CoS where they fought in the bookstore does seem 
to show some deep, lasting hard feelings between the two of 
them. Most folks go get into a fist-fight over a couple of 
insults, especially not kinda-hearted guys like Arthur.

"Hopefully, Lucius will get what he has coming to him at 
the end, and I'm sure I'm not the only one hoping Arthur 
is the one to get him. What wonderful justice it would be 
if we learned that Lucius was the one who Imperio'ed Arthur, 
but Arthur defeats him in the end! My mouth waters just 
thinking about it."

"I just don't know," Cindy answered shaking her head. "I 
don't know if you have something or if you are just stark 
raving mad. I'll have to think about that one."

"Well, do consider it," Veronica answered. "Like I said, there 
is room for Operative!Arthur on board any day. But let me tell you,"
she added, shaking her head, "with these hunky shirtless cabin boys 
bringing me Pina Coladas, you're going to have to THROW me from this 
ship kicking and screaming!"