TBAY: Return of Parallel Universe Fourth Man

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 50291

After a long absence, Debbie deftly maneuvers her shiny hovercraft through the narrow entrance to Theory Bay and, throttling back, slowly makes her way through the crowded waters.  Things have changed greatly these last six months.  The Bay is more crowded than ever, with ships of all kinds at anchor everywhere.  At one edge of the Bay, the good ships R/H and H/H are engaged in a pitched battle; elsewhere, the crews are busy preparing for the great storm that's been announced.

Debbie parks the hovercraft and moors it at the dock nearest George's Tavern, and, thinking refreshment is in order, heads over to the tavern.  Opening the oak doors, she spies a small knot of people clustered by the bar, talking excitedly.  They look up as the oak door slams.  It's Cindy, Elkins, Eileen and someone Debbie doesn't recognize.  "Hi all," Debbie said softly.  'I'm back."

"Debbie!" cried Cindy.  "We thought you'd left us forever!"

"I've been on a mission," replied Debbie, her eyes glittering.  "George, I'll have what they're having, please.  I didn't mean to disturb your conversation."

"I've been proposing a dramatic renovation to the Fourth Man Hovercraft.  The Dolohov," Cindy said brightly. 

"Ha!" snapped Elkins, "Renovate?  She wants to completely rebuild it!  Replacing Avery with Dolohov.  Avery is the main structural support of the hovercraft; take out Avery, and you might as well just buy a new hovercraft!"

"Want to try out the new Dolohov hovercraft when we get it done?" asked Cindy?

"I can't.  I have my own hovercraft already.  Much more flexible and maneuverable.  It's got room for all manner of Fourth Man theories."  Debbie points out the window.  The others peer outside.  The words "Parallel Universe Fourth Man" are clearly visible on the side of the hovercraft.

"Using your hovercraft *would* save a pile on renovation costs," mused Cindy.

"But, Cindy, I have a real problem with this Dolohov theory.  I just can't believe that Dolohov talked his way out of Azkaban."

"Why not?"

"Let's take a look at Karkaroff's little appearance before Crouch's grand jury.  Karkaroff names a lot of names, but only one that is new.  And what did Rookwood do?  He collected information.  Very exciting.

"Now if you were Crouch, and you had a public shaken and devastated by a mass terrorism campaign, where, according to Sirius, 'every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing', a public clamoring to put all the DEs in Azkaban for life, would you let Karkaroff out just because he fingered someone who 'collected information'?  Karkaroff had to have done more than that.  Yes, I know that Rookwood's name led to others.  It led to other information-passers.  Oh, that's a Bangy crime!  It led to people like Bagman.  And we know what happened when Crouch tried to get him convicted."

"Sirius knows that Karkaroff was a DE that got off by naming names, and put a load of people into Azkaban.  Yet no one knows Snape was a DE.  So we surmise that the little interrogation Harry saw in the Pensieve was a secret proceeding.  Right?"

Everyone nods.

"But Karkaroff must have repeated these names somewhere more public.  Like at a trial.  I submit that Karkaroff didn't go free *just* for Rookwood's name.  He's got much more value than that.  He can provide *evidence*!  Look what he says about Dolohov?  'I -- I saw him torture countless Muggles and -- and non-supporters of the Dark Lord.'  See -- Karkaroff *saw* him!  This is not hearsay.  That's evidence that would be admissible in any courtroom.  It's much more direct than what he said about Rookwood.  You don't think Crouch Sr. missed an opportunity to use evidence that would put Dolohov away?"

Cindy grabs the tattered copy of GoF.  "Wait a minute.  The first thing Karkaroff tells Crouch Sr. is that the names he is going to give are 'people I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding.'"

"That might have been true of the names he gives at first.  But he's getting desperate by this point.  And when Crouch presses him, what does he say?  He says, 'I believe he used a network of well-placed wizards, both inside and outside the Ministry, to collect information.'  He doesn't *know* this.  He only *believes* it!  It's nothing but hearsay.  Karkaroff was of limited use in constructing a case against Rookwood, or the rest of that network.  He doesn't know anything about those people.  *Karkaroff* didn't put those people in Azkaban; Sirius' statements to Harry just before the First Task strongly suggest that the people he put in Azkaban were the people whose names he named.  But other than Rookwood, all the names he gave were people who were dead or in custody.  So he must've helped convict those that were in custody.  Particularly Dolohov.  Why, Crouch must've used Karkaroff -- the only possible reason for not using him is if Dolohov had already been convicted by then.  And somehow, given how Crouch looks so 'fit and alert' Karkaroff must have squealed very early on in the process."

Cindy interrupts.  "He might have been acquitted, like Bagman."

"Bagman was a special case.  He was a sports hero.  He's friendly, charismatic.  He wasn't accused of torture or killing.  Dolohov had none of those things in his favor.  In fact, with his foreign name, he probably had less sympathy with the jury than just about anyone who was put on trial.  And with eyewitness testimony?  He was certainly not acquitted *before* Karkaroff spoke up, because Crouch makes clear that Dolohov is in custody at that time.  No, I believe Dolohov was rotting in Azkaban already when the Longbottoms were tortured."

"But Dolohov was the Cruciatus specialist!  He had to be the one who tortured the Longbottoms!"  

"Being a specialist could mean nothing more than that was his modus operandi.  When he was sent on a mission, he liked to torture his victims with Cruciatus.  That doesn't mean he didn't know how to kill them.  Look at Snape.  I suspect he was the potions specialist.  Or maybe just the Veritaserum specialist.  But that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to use the Unforgivables.  How many among us believe he didn't brew Veritaserum for Voldemort?  I thought so.  Now, how many among us believe Snape didn't go out on any of those DE adventures, and use an Unforgivable or two himself?"

George, Cindy, Elkins, Eileen and Ginger all shake their heads.  "See?" continued Debbie.  "If George agrees with us . . . ."

"Your canon doesn't *prove* that it couldn't have been Dolohov," interrupts Cindy.

"And neither does yours prove that it was.  But look.  You're welcome to join me on the parallel universe hovercraft, and the rest of you, too.  Save those renovation costs.  You see, on alternate days (excluding Sunday) Avery is Fourth Man, in homage to the creator of Fourth Man.

Elkins pipes up, "But Ginger here has an equally appealing theory, the Third Nott Theory.  She's succeeded in getting around the big problem with most non-Avery Fourth Man theories -- she's just tied it together by suggesting a relationship between Neville and the yet unknown youngest Nott."

"OK.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday can be Avery/Nott day.  But on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, all bets are off.  Free reign is given to all manner of speculation.  Nobody is safe.  Dolohov.  Mr. Bulstrode.  Nott -- that's a seven-day-a-week theory.  Even Molly's cousin the accountant.  (There must be some reason they don't talk about him.)

"And with Hurricane Jo coming, this is a good place to be.  This craft can withstand *anything*.  At least on Saturdays.  And June 21 is, IIRC, on a Saturday?  So, please, come on over -- the gangplank's open.  George, can you supply us with some refreshments?"

Debbie

The parallel universe Fourth Man was more or less simultaneously proposed by Eloise and myself in messages 38425 and 38427 to deal with Avery's double jeopardy problem

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