Blundering Dunderhead (Was: Chapter Discussions: Chapter 8, The Hearing)

[Diana]

No: HPFGUIDX 87576

Ray wrote: 
> I still don't believe that Fudge is intentionally helping 
Voldemort.  He can 
> be termed a "puppet" in that, knowingly or not, he is helping 
Voldy's cause.  
> However, it is my feeling that Fudge is just trying to beat his 
own drum.  It 
> was said in an earlier book that the only reason Fudge is MoM is 
that 
> Dumbledore turned the job down.  Whether this is actually true or 
not, if it is the 
> common conception, Fudge will know it, and be looking for any 
excuse to show 
> that he is the better choice, by casting Dumbledore in a bad light.
> 
> I have seen many examples of the "Blundering Dunderhead" official 
taking a 
> stand and refusing to budge on it, despite any evidence to the 
contrary.  The 
> leaders of the opposing view (in this case DD and Harry) are 
misguided at best, 
> crimiinal conspirators at worst, and anyone who attempts to argue 
their side 
> has simply been "seduced by [whoever's] lies"  It is ironic that, 
in many 
> cases, the BD (Fudge in this case) describes himself when 
describing his opponents.
> 
> But we agree on Percy's motives.  He has decided to hitch his 
wagon to 
> Fudge's star, with an eye toward eventually becoming MoM himself.  
This means 
> cutting off all ties with his family, who have aligned themselves 
with DD and Harry. 
>  It probably causes Percy great pain, but once he has chosen to 
align himself 
> with Fudge, he cannot go back.  Thus I describe Percy 
as "Blundering 
> Dunderhead - The Next Generation".
> 
> Now that Dumbledore has been proven right, and the WW has 
recognized that 
> Voldemort is back and the DE's are again active, there will be 
repercussions for 
> Percy, Fudge, et al.  IMHO, Fudge's political career is finished.  
He will 
> probably be forced to resign once a replacement is decided on.  > 
 

Diana L. writes:
   I think your assessment of Fudge and Percy as "Blundering 
Dunderheads" is quite accurate.  And I just love the name you came 
up with!  LOL  I also don't think Fudge is ESE or that Percy is a 
secret spy for Dumbledore.  Sometimes basically good characters do 
dumb things that end up helping the villian and, IMHO, this is the 
case with Fudge and Percy.  
   Dolores Umbridge is a different animal, however.  Unlike Fudge 
and Percy, I don't think Umbridge is a basically decent person.  Her 
pleasure in inflicting pain, torture and punishment for her own 
benefit and rise in power makes her another Voldemort in the 
making.  But she is much more ignorant and down-right stupid than 
Voldemort ever was (and I think Voldemort is extremely bone-headed 
at times).  Unfortunately, her stupidity and arrogance resulted in 
even more danger for Harry and the rest of the world because she 
tried to use an uzi (the dementors) instead of tweezers on the thorn 
(Harry) in the midst of MoM's blissful denial.  
  Whether Fudge's career is finished...I wouldn't bet on it.  Sure, 
the Daily Prophet might run an article titled "What the Ministry 
Should Have Told Us" [OoP, Chapt. 37], but I think the fact that 
Fudge has held the post as long as he has tells me the WW citizens 
aren't too picky about who is minister of magic.  If you're right, 
though, and Fudge is finished, I would be delighted to see an 
ashamed, fallen Fudge in the next book - it would be as funny as 
OoP's Rita Skeeter, IMO.  <g>
   I wonder if the Weasleys are going to have a hard time forgiving 
Percy?  Molly probably will forgive him, but I'm sure Bill, Charlie, 
Fred and George won't be willing to forgive or forget anytime 
soon.   Another question is whether the rift between Percy and his 
family will be dealt with off-the-page, with Harry only learning the 
results of the family reunion after he gets together with Ron in 
late summer at the beginning of book 6.  Since the books are from 
Harry's POV, it's very likely we won't witness Percy's return, if he 
does return at all.  I also wonder what Percy's girlfriend, Penelope 
Clearwater, thinks of Percy's break from his family?  Or does anyone 
else think they broke up as soon as they both graduated from 
Hogwarts?  
   Fudge's interactions with Harry should be very interesting in 
future books.  Fudge has accused of Harry of having 'addled brains', 
being a deranged attention-seeker and a threat to others.  And he 
did all this by allowing (or even planting himself) derogatory, 
nasty comments about Harry in the Daily Prophet on a nearly daily 
basis for many months.  I can see Fudge attempting a dreadfully 
stilted and embarassing apology to Harry upon their next meeting, 
but whether Harry will be interested in any of it at that point is 
anyone's guess.   Watching Fudge squirm will be a pleasure.  :)

Diana L.