Ludo Bagman

[karenkyla3]

No: HPFGUIDX 53237

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I am just into my 
third read of the series and something about Ludo Bagman stuck out at 
me in GoF.  Earlier in the book after the Quidditch match, in the 
midst of the confusion when the muggles are being tormented, but 
before the dark mark is released, the trio are in the woods hiding 
per Mr. Weasley's instructions.  It's on pages 126-127 in the 
hardcover American version:  

"...Ludo Bagman emerged from behind a tree right ahead of them.  Even 
by the feeble light of the two wands, Harry could see that a great 
change had come over Bagman.  He no longer looked buoyant and rosy-
faced; there was no more spring in his step.  He looked very white 
and strained.  "Who's that?" he said, blinking down at them, trying 
to make out their faces.  "What are you doing in here, all alone?"  
They looked at one another, surprised.  "Well - there's a sort of 
riot going on," said Ron.  Bagman stared at him.  "What?"  "At the 
campsite... some people have got hold of a family of muggles..."  
Bagman swore loudly.  "Damn them!" he said, looking quite distracted, 
and without another word, he Disapparated witha small pop!  "Not 
exactly on top of things, Mr. Bagman, is he?" said Hermione, 
frowning."

To my recollection, this bizarre behavior was never accounted for was 
it?  Why did Bagman emerge appearing haggard and disoriented if he 
didn't know that anything was wrong?  For that matter, why was he in 
the woods at all if he didn't know what was wrong?  (at this point 
the trio are in the woods, not near the tents)  Who is he referring 
to when he says "Damn them!"?  If he were just frustrated that random 
unknown people were tormenting muggles, he would have said "Damn it" 
in frustration, not "Damn them" almost as if he knew who it was.  
Then JKR makes a point again to say he still looks quite distracted 
and Hermione goes on to point this out too.  It gets even more 
interesting because after a decent amount of time has passed (the 
dark mark has been displayed, Diggory is already questioning Winky), 
Bagman appears again, out of breath, and in the same exact spot he 
had Disapparated from while talking to the trio some time before.  He 
is completely unaware of the mark.  Had he been tending to the muggle 
situation, he would have seen the mark.  So where was he and why is 
he still clueless?  

"Just then there was another pop, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right 
next to Mr. Weasley.  Looking breathless and disoriented, he spun on 
the spot, goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.  "The Dark 
Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky as he turned inquiringly to 
his colleagues.  "Who did it?  Did you get them?  Barty!  What's 
going on?..."  (pages 132-133 of hardcover GoF)

He goes on to ask Crouch why he never showed up to his box - an odd 
question considering THE DARK MARK IS ABOVE HIS HEAD.  I can't 
believe none of this struck me as odd on my first two read-throughs, 
but for some reason this really stands out as bizarre behavior to me 
and I don't recall it ever being explained (though i could be wrong, 
I haven't finished GoF this time yet and it's been awhile since my 
last readthrough).  Anyone have any thoughts to what Bagman was up 
to?  Has this been discussed before?  

Stacey