[HPforGrownups] Villainy

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 109474

Kneasy noted:
>Voldy couldn't take over a whelk stall let alone a society. He's thrashing
>about achieving absolutely nothing. Every time he pops his head
>above the parapet he gets it handed to him. He's a loser. And that
>is exactly the point I'm trying to make - he is NOT credible as the
>most evil, sneaky, extremely powerful, Dark Magic wielding terror
>merchant in the WW.

It wouldn't necessarily address his ability as a wizard. He could still be
the most evil, powerful one, just deficient in the sneaky department. Let's
take that a step further.

We've seen Voldemort a number of times and all of them feature him doing the
evil overlord bit. Plenty of moustache-twiddling and mwaa-ha-ha but not very
good on the strategy front.

Nonetheless, we know that, the first time around, his conspirators convulsed
the WW, in the British Isles, at least, to the extent that people are
terrified even to speak his name.

Does it therefore follow that actually the DE terror took place in _spite_
of, rather than because of, Voldemort's strategic abilities? Did he, among
his inner circle, have wizards who were actually much better than he was at
that side of things? Are they still around today?

I'll grant you that the fight at the Ministry doesn't show them in a
particular effective light, even given the circumstances that they may have
been trying to take them alive. But then skill at strategy and brute force
aren't necessarily the same thing.

Interesting to wonder whether there would have been the same result if (say)
Lucius had planned the ambush and Voldemort had done the fighting...

Cheers

Ffred

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