Fudge's cowardice (Was Fudge is a DE)

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 78742

Severus:" I have pulled our findings and it seems, astonishingly, that
Fudge is in leagues with LV."

I don't agree, partly because I don't see any convincing evidence of
it, but mostly because Fudge plays an important thematic role and
gives JKR the opportunity to make an important point.

Severus:" Second in PoA, the Dementors left their posts to invade the 
Quidditch match and they seemed very interested in Harry, they were 
all looking up at him, no one else. Did they do this at Fudge's 
request? We think so."

Why?  You need to back that assertion up.  I don't find it more
credible than the explanation we were given, that the Dementors went
to feed on the strong emotions in the stadium.

Severus:" Third in PoA, the Dementors try to administer the kiss to
Harry and perhaps to Hermione. Would the Dementors act on their own
accord, and go against orders? The only one that was to get the kiss 
immediately was Sirius, but there is no mention of this. The 
Dementors receive their orders from who? Fudge, that's who."

If you believe that the Dementors were acting on Fudge's orders, then
you have to believe Fudge knew Harry was going to be out there on the
grounds that night, and that he wanted Harry dead.  Why?  That's not
what Voldemort ended up wanting, at least. If Fudge is a DE, then
Voldemort would have been sorely ticked off at Fudge later.

The only thing Karkaroff's courtroom statement tells us is that he
can't prove Fudge is *not* a Death Eater, nothing more.

Severus:" Seventh in GoF, Moody was hired by DD, who else would know
except the MOM? Fudge then told Crouch Jr. to take Moody's place in
order to facilitate Harry winning the cup. Why else would Fudge have
the kiss administered so quickly to Crouch Jr. after his capture? So 
Crouch Jr. could not tell of Fudge's involvement."

We already know there are DE's in the MoM, it doesn't have to be Fudge
at all, even though he could have been the source, since he's too
stupid to keep his mouth shut, and doesn't believe there's any reason
to be secret about it anyway.  As far as Barty Jr.'s elimination goes,
Voldemort doesn't want Barty spilling his guts on Veritaserum.  He's
said too much already.

Severus:" Eighth in GoF, LV states "...I shall have all my devoted
servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear."
Could LV be speaking of the creatures that Luna Lovegood says Fudge is 
secretly breeding?"

Are Dementors, trolls, and Giants not scary enough?  Maybe Fudge is
breeding something out there; I'm just scared he's breeding with
Dolores. Eeewwww.

I think you offer speculations as proof, but more important to me is
the thematic role that Fudge plays.  All through history there have
been Cornelius Fudges who, through complacency, self-interest, and
cowardice, do evil's work as well as if they were active agents of the
evil power.  If you think of Fudge as Neville Chamberlain and
Dumbledore as Churchill you get the drift.  They call it the "Jaws
Syndrome" now, after the fictional town fathers who insisted there
wasn't a big shark out there eating people. I believe JKR is making an
important moral point to her young readers.  What JKR is saying, I
believe, is that Fudge's cowardice and failure to act is just as bad
as being a DE. He's an example of moral corruption. If Fudge is an
active DE, then the books are less than what I think they are in that
one respect.

Jim Ferer