Undercover Percy: who notified Dumbledore?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 81055

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Grey Wolf" <greywolf1 at j...> 
wrote:
> Grey Wolf wrote:
> > > I don't think Percy is a spy for Dumbledore, but if he is he's 
so 
> > > undercover (looking that much of a git means he's *really* 
> > > undercover, IMO) he wouldn't risk blowing it for such a minor 
> > > matter as a change of time for a hearing.
> 
> > Geoff:
> > I'm afraid I don't agree at all that this is a "minor matter". I 
get 
> > a distinct impression that the change of time and venue had been 
> > deliberately designed so that Harry would be late which would 
count 
> > against him in the eyes of those who supported Fudge and 
Dumbledore 
> > would miss the hearing and that it was a plot to discredit Harry 
and 
> > also find him guilty. 
> 
> We agree on that, but I think you have missinterpreted what I mean 
by 
> minor matter. Lets consider for a moment that Percy is, indeed, an 
> undercover agent for Dumbledore. Why is he there? it cannot be for 
some 
> quick spying, certainly. Percy has severed all connections to his 
> family (some have suggested that his parents might now he's a spy 
for 
> Dumbledore. I very much doubt it. They certainly don't need to know 
and 
> their knowing it might endanger Percy's cover). This is something 
you 
> do not do lightly. Even if he is a spy, he might never regain the 
> confidence of his family once his job is finished.
> 
> No, if Percy is there to spy (and again, I think he's just an 
idiot), 
> he shouldn't blow his cover (and contacting Dumbledore as has been 
> suggesting *is* a major hit to his cover at that point, one that he 
> shouldn't attempt lightly in case he is dicovered) for just Harry's 
> trial. 

<snipped>

Geoff:
I am afraid that I still cannot agree with you that the summoning of 
Dumbledore in time for the Wizengamot hearing is a "minor matter". 
Obviously, since he did get there, other scenarios are a matter for 
conjecture but, if he had not arrived in time, there could have been 
potentially serious consequences for the Wizarding World.

I still suspect Fudge. His behaviour when Dumbledore arrived was that 
of a child caught with its hand in the sweetie jar – or  pulling the 
cat's tail. Although I get the feeling that Amelia Bones is a typical 
judge – she is severe but totally impartial – I feel that Fudge 
thought he had got the case sewn up for Harry to be expelled and have 
his wand taken away and would be able to sway the Wizengamot members 
his way. Dumbledore, by being there, was able to blow a whole series 
of holes in Fudge's carefully constructed prosecution of Harry as a 
law breaker and liar.

What would have happened in the worst case scenario - Harry is out of 
Hogwarts? There are two places where he is considered to be at his 
safest – Little Whinging and Hogwarts. He arrives back at Privet 
Drive. Vernon, in particular, blows a whole bank of fuses and even 
threatens to send him to the local state school to get Harry out of 
his hair. We already know that outside the house, he is under threat. 
Petunia might insist on him staying in the house but what effect 
would that have had on Harry? I'm not sure I can see Dumbledore being 
able to let Harry stay on the Hogwarts site, no longer being a 
student; it raises too many problems. Which leaves probably Grimmauld 
Place. So he joins Sirius, probably "confined to barracks" in the 
same way so there would be two cheesed-off, wound-up guys getting in 
everyone's way.

And Voldemort? Comparisons have been drawn between him and Hitler. 
The latter could be pretty good at locating safe houses and raiding 
them, Could the same happen at Grimmauld Place? Harry no longer has a 
wand. Although OOTP spends a lot of time looking at the fact that 
Voldemort wants to know what is in the prophecy because of the 
disaster which befell him when he attacked baby Harry, the fact is 
that he is still prepared to risk an personal attack and by the end 
of OOTP, he has made two more attempts directly to kill Harry 
himself; after the Triwizard Tournament when Harry only escaped by 
getting to the Portkey first and in the Ministry battle where the 
enchanted statue intercepted the spell.

No. If the hearing had gone against Harry, Voldemort might have been 
prepared to try to launch another direct attempt to kill him or, he 
could have come out more openly, knowing that a disarmed Harry was a 
much reduced threat.

Fudge? I doubt in his thinking he saw this. I believe he was trying 
to protect his own position and power by silencing or rubbishing 
voices opposed to his "we have everything under control" approach. It 
smacks of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy with Hitler in the 
late 1930s. Interestingly, the voice which was being ignored was that 
of Winston Churchill, who went on to become Prime Minister; is there 
a parallel here?