Flitwick/Fudge/the Potters

[Hitomi]

No: HPFGUIDX 91559

Potioncat wrote: 
> What surprises me is that Fudge refers to "James and Lily" several 
> times as if he had been on a first name basis with them. Oddly 
> enough, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick refer to James and 
Sirius 
> always as Potter and Black. 
> 
> I'm not sure if this just made the storytelling easier or if Fudge 
> knew the Potters well. Or if  he is just a name dropper. Do we 
know 
> how old he is?

Hitomi:
Well, I've always estimated Fudge to be in his fifties, though he 
could have been in school with the Marauders for a year or two 
(meaning he'd been in his forties).  But most public officials are 
at least in their forties when they first take office, and Lily and 
James would have been in their mid-thirties when this series began 
(according to Snape's age, if they had lived), so I just assume 
Fudge is older.  Could be wrong, but I don't think it's a risky 
assumption.

And Fudge is a name dropper.  He always addresses Harry very 
familiarly, without any reason to do so, other than that Harry 
is "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived" and he's the Minister of 
Magic.  And probably because Harry is a boy, and not a student of 
his, so it looks good to be buddy buddy with little Harry, 
especially when Harry's reputation remained untarnished.  If you'll 
notice though, in Book 5, he refers to him as "Harry Potter" and not 
just "Harry" most of the time.  Fudge is ever the ingratiating 
politician, according to society's whims.

All the teachers refer to the students by their last name, except DD 
with Harry.  DD is more familiar with his students on average, but 
he never addresses Harry as "Mr. Potter," but he addresses Ron 
as "Mr. Weasley."  When talking about his students, he'll use their 
first names, like with Neville, but Harry is the only example I know 
of where he addresses a student by their first name, while that 
student is still at Hogwarts.  Which says something about DD and 
Harry's relationship.  I wonder at times how Harry never picked up 
on it, but DD has kept himself distant, so I guess that's the 
reason.  

But besides the teachers, most all adults refer to the Potters as 
Lily and James.  Maybe they're seen as some kind of public figures, 
what with being the parents of a famous historical hero.  Which 
seems to be how the public views Harry again.  

There are my two cents ;)

~ Hitomi