Was Fidelius Charm, Questions about the wizengamot/Crouch Trial/Fudge

[lizvega2]

No: HPFGUIDX 90875

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> Carol:
>   
> > >> Another thought. If he'd had a trial, would the chains on 
that chair
> have bound him as they did the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr.? 
The
> seems to sense magically whether a person is guilty or not, rather
> like the Sorting Hat seeing into students' minds to determine which
> house they belong in based on their thoughts or feelings and 
memories.
> Maybe that's why Crouch, Sr. was so certain that his son was
> guilty--because he really was and the behavior of the chair proved 
it.
> If Sirius had sat in that chair and it hadn't bound him, the
> Wizengamot might not have needed Priori Incantatem or witnesses or
> anything else. The chair would have known that he was innocent and
> Crouch would have had to drop the charges--or at least conduct an
> investigation, including a cross-examination using good old
> veritaserum. Given all the magical methods of accessing a person's
> memory magically, from legilmency to Pensieves, there's really no
> excuse for sending an innocent witch or wizard to prison.
> 
> Carol

LizVega here:

What an interesting idea! About the chair being able to distinguish 
between guilty and innocent suspects! I have two questions: Does 
anyone remember if it's mentioned that ALL of the people brought in 
with Bella and Crouch, jr. were magically bound by the chairs? I'm 
still speculating about the 'man brought in who stared blankly'- I 
wonder if he wasn't under the Imperius Curse. 

Also, what if the reason Sirius was never given a trial was because 
someone in the wizengamot knew he was innocent, and didn't want the 
chair to reveal this? It's become clear 
that there are spies in the MOM- Rookwood for one. What if one of 
Voldemorts supporters, working for the ministry at that time, knew 
what really happened at the Potter's house that night of James and 
Lilly's murder. Wasn't Fudge one of the first ones on the scene when 
Peter blew up the street? What position did Fudge hold at that time? 
It was magical law enforcement wasn't it? I don't have my book with 
me...sorry!

I've read on other sites that people speculate that Fudge may be the 
DE that has 'left Voldemort forever'- GOF, graveyard scene. 

If Fudge was a supporter of LV, and he knew what had happened, he 
would see to it that Sirius had no way of telling what actually 
happened. And then, conveniently enough, Fudge was made 
Minister. Hmmmm.....