Something wrong with this Fudge

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 107293

meltowne wrote:
>>> I've been thinking abou our friend from the ministry, Cornelius
Fudge. I can't quite decide what to make of him, but I know 
there's something odd that JKR has been hinting at all along. 

1 - He was the first on the scene when Wormtail disappeared.

2 - The night that Bertha Jorkins found out about Barty Crouch Jr,
wasn't Crouch Sr, having dinner with the Fudges?

3 - Fudge got the Minister job when it appeared that Crouch had a 
bad apple in his family. Was Barty really responsible for 
torturing the Longbottoms? Why did Fudge have the dementors kiss 
him so quickly?  I think Barty Jr knew something about Fudge that 
he wanted kept hidden.

4 - in PoA, Crouch wants to make sure Harry stays in Diagon Alley.

(5) - What if Fudge was with Wormtail & LV at Godrics Hollow? 
Fudge gives Wormtail advice to "disappear for a while" and to 
fake his own death.

(6) - Fudge clearly holds some of the same beliefs as the death 
eaters,regarding muggles and half-bloods.<<<


HunterGreen:
>> You know, I think so too. Evidence for an ESE!Fudge is 
ridiculously easy to put together. We all just accept that he's only 
out to get Dumbledore in OotP because he's afraid of Dumbledore -- 
that is of Dumbledore trying to take his job -- even though 
Dumbledore has NEVER shown any interest in it. AND its just accepted 
that he doesn't think that Voldemort is back, when at the end of GoF, 
he couldn't (decently) retort to Dumbledore when Dumbledore said "I 
am working against Voldemort, if you are too, we are on the same 
side." (paraphrased). But suddenly in OotP he's gung-ho to get 
Harry expelled, get Dumbledore discredited, and take over 
Hogwarts...why? (I know the reasons the book gives, they just seem 
a little weak). It just reminds me of the fact that Voldemort never 
dared attack Hogwarts during his first rise to power, with Umbridge 
there it would have been mighty easy... <<


Matt added:
> I'm not so sure about Fudge as evil; I see him more as the
> quintessential bureaucrat, who values process (or the appearance
> thereof), preservation of the status quo, and above all retaining 
> his position of authority, while discounting principles and 
> anything that makes his job more difficult than it needs to be.


SSSusan now:
Hmmmm.  All those things you've said, Matt, do seem to perfectly 
describe Fudge.  On the other hand, does anybody else think it's just 
possible that JKR might be *deliberately* getting us to focus 
on "misguided, bumbling, quintessential bureaucrat Fudge" so that we 
don't seriously consider the possibility of his being ESE! 
and "behind it all"??

Do you know what I mean?  Someone might suggest Fudge is ESE! and 
then others counter with, "No, I don't think he's ESE!  He's just 
misguided, short-sighted, insecure in his position, afraid DD will 
take his job, blah blah blah."  And then that's the end of the 
discussion.  

It seems to me that one could rebut that rebuttal by pointing out the 
things Meltowne did.  It's not the *surfacey* arguments w/ DD and his 
refusal to believe Harry and his waffling (fudging) on which episodes 
of underage magic count or don't that really matter or make him 
ESE!.  It's those behind-the-scenes situations where Fudge was in 
position to have orchestrated some of the key episodes which make him 
a candidate for ESE!Fudge:  allowing Barty, Jr. to be kissed before 
testifying; Sirius' apparently-not-all-that-difficult escape from 
Azkaban; the Dementors' seeming *focus* on Harry over anyone else; 
his placement of Umbridge at Hogwarts; the possibility that he could 
have worked w/ Pettigrew in some way, either at GH or in the 
aftermath.

All these really did occur in canon or at least can be supported with 
canon.  Maybe Fudge isn't ESE! for the reasons often put forth [power-
hungry MoM in at least partial alignment w/ DE goals & values] but 
because he's truly orchestrated all these things all along, from 
behind the scenes, to help Voldy return.

Just some rambling thoughts, I know, but I'd love to hear from others 
on this.

Siriusly Snapey Susan