What If... Dumbledore had included Fudge in GoF Ch.35?

[Devika]

No: HPFGUIDX 55147

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tom Wall" <thomasmwall at y...> 
wrote:
> > 
> So, in that light, I got to thinking about GoF 
Ch.35, "Veritaserum," 
> in which Dumbledore administers the potion to Barty Crouch, Jr. and 
> he, Harry, Winky, Snape, and McGonagall hear what he has to say. 
> That's a lot of people, right, when you think about it? Who is 
> missing that should definitely been included in this meeting?
> 
> Fudge. If Fudge had been there (and it wouldn't have been that 
> difficult to include him) things would have been very different at 
> the end of GoF.
> 
> So, in that light, "What If... Dumbledore had called Fudge into the 
> room to hear Crouch Jr.'s testimony?"
<snip> 
> What If... he said this:
> 
> <snip directions to Snape>
> Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a 
> large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Tell him that I wish 
> to see him and will be with him shortly. Find Cornelius Fudge and 
> tell him that it's imperative he come to this room at once. Bring 
> the dog to my office, and then come back here."
> 
> Imagine if that had happened. 
> 
> Well, first of all, Fudge would have heard most, if not all of what 
> Barty Crouch, Jr. had to say under the effect of the serum. In 
other 
> words, when Fudge says in GoF Ch.36 that "I see no evidence to the 
> contrary!" (US paperback, pg. 706) that wouldn't have happened. He 
> would have heard the evidence. So, right then and there, Fudge 
would 
> have bonafide proof that Voldemort was alive.
> 
> <snip> 
> So then, the whole Parting of the Ways scene wouldn't be a 
`parting' 
> at all, because Fudge would be aware of Voldemort's plans via BCJ 
> and Harry. And even if Fudge wants to dispute Harry's sanity, or 
> take issue with Dumbledore's secrecy, he would still have Crouch, 
> Jr.'s testimony to give to the Ministry officials and the public. 


In Ch. 36, "The Parting of the Ways:"

"By all accounts, he [Crouch Jr.] is no loss! blustered Fudge.  "It 
seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

<snip Dumbledore's reply>

"Why he killed them?  Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered 
Fudge.  "He was a raving lunatic!  From what Minerva and Severus have 
told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-
Who's instructions!"

After reading this, I think that Fudge believed that Crouch Jr. had 
confessed to his crimes and said that Voldemort made him do it.  
Snape and McGonagall had told him this, as Fudge himself states.  He 
doesn't dispute what Crouch Jr. actually said.  What he doesn't 
believe is that Crouch Jr. was sane enough to know what he was 
talking about.  Fudge knows that Crouch Jr. *thought* that he was 
acting under Voldemort's orders and therefore said so under the 
influence of Veritaserum.  However, Fudge believes that Crouch Jr. is 
insane.  Therefore, regardless of what Crouch Jr. said, Fudge is not 
going to believe it.  The point is not whether or not Fudge heard 
Crouch Jr.'s confession.  Fudge believes what Dumbledore, Snape, and 
McGonagall have said about it.  He didn't need to hear it for 
himself.  The point is that Fudge believes that Crouch Jr. was 
delusional, and so what Crouch thought was true, i.e. that Voldemort 
had returned, was only true in Crouch's own mind.  Fudge doesn't 
think that it is true in reality.  

Whether he heard the confession or not, Fudge would still dismiss it 
as the ravings of a lunatic.  He is so determined not to believe that 
Voldemort has returned that no one, except maybe Voldemort himself, 
can convince him of this.

Another thing:  I know that the WW is going to be divided on the 
issue of whether Voldemort has actually returned.  But really, how 
long is it going to be before the entire WW realizes that this has in 
fact happened?  Surely Voldemort isn't just going to sit around and 
do nothing now that he has his body back.  After a few attacks on 
Muggles and Muggle-borns, won't people start to get a bit suspicious 
that something is going on?  And Voldemort himself, being the 
megalomaniacal evil overlord type, will want full credit for 
everything that he and his DEs do.  I don't think it can be long 
before Voldemort reveals himself in a way that will leave no one, 
including Fudge, in any doubt that he has indeed returned.

Devika