Something wrong with this Fudge

[mhbobbin]

No: HPFGUIDX 107368

  
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.<<<

SSSusan now:
>>> snip
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"??

snip
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.
snip <<<


mhbobbin adds:

I think the question comes down to ---is Fudge's counter-productive 
behavior intentional or the result of him being a "misguided, 
bumbling, quintessential bureaucrat". Or both. If his behavior is 
intentional, then the question becomes== is he actively working for 
LV; just out to keep power; or passively supporting LV.

Over the last few days, I have started to believe that Fudge is a 
classic JKR switcheroo.  While his counterproductive behavior 
increases in each book--and is clearly intentional in OotP, it is 
most intriguing to me in PoA, which I hadn't noticed till these 
recent posts.

Fudge shows up at strategic moments throughout the Sirius - 
Pettigrew story line.  

1. Per Fudge, he is one of the first MoM officials on the scene 
after Sirius supposedly killed Pettigrew and the 12 muggles. 
Interestingly, there were eyewitnesses to that scene, but as Fudge 
says--the MoM had to erase their memories. We know only enough about 
that scene to know that the hole in the sewer that Pettigrew escapes 
through isn't the only hole in the story.  Note that Pettigrew is 
described by Mcgonagall as "hopeless at dueling" while Sirius 
believes that Pettigrew was able to get the better of him because 
his wand was hidden behind his back. Which implies that Sirius 
didn't see what happened either. Any wizard who was "one of the 
first" on the scene should be under suspicion. 

2. In Azkaban, Fudge gives Sirius the newspaper with the photo of 
the Weasleys on the Front Page. The one with Scabbers.  The one that 
causes Sirius to mumble "He's at Hogwarts."  Shortly after Fudge's 
inspection of Azkaban, a motivated Sirius escapes. Coincidence?

3. How did the Weasleys get a picture on the front page of The Daily 
Prophet--the paper controlled by the MoM.  By winning the Daily 
Prophet prize.  Interesting. Qualifies as possibly being under the 
indirect influence of Fudge.

4. Fudge seems to send the Knight Bus after Harry. Glosses over 
Harry's transgressions. Keeps him at Diagon Alley.  Might be 
protecting him. Might be preventing him from contact with Sirius. 
Fudge is showing up at another strategic moment.

5. Hogsmeade--- At The Three Broomsticks, frequented by the kids and 
teachers, on one of three Hogsmeade weekends, it is Fudge that 
reveals the background of the Sirius - Pettigrew duel that ended 
with Sirius in prison. Why is he revealing this to Madame Rosmerta? 
Just to impress her and the teachers he is with?  Or does Fudge want 
this information to get back to Harry---is he one of those who think 
Harry will recklessly try to go find Sirius and kill him. Or is 
Fudge hoping that if Harry meets up with Sirius, that Harry won't 
listen to Sirius because of this information. In fact, that is what 
almost happens in the Shrieking Shack. Harry doesn't want to hear 
Sirius out. He wants to kill Sirius.  Lupin interrupts this lovely 
moment. Had Fudge not leaked this information, would Harry have 
wanted to kill Sirius?  Doubtful. So again, we find Fudge in a 
strategic moment in the Sirius - Pettigrew story line.

6. And then there are the Dementors. Fudge seems to be the only one 
who can communicate with them in PoA. And they seem to be strangely 
attracted to Harry long before Harry gives them a reason.

Fudge shows up so often in this story line, he should be considered, 
as the FBI would say, a "person of interest".

7. And before I forget---How did Scabbers find his way to Percy? Did 
someone from the Ministry give him to the Weasleys?  Why is it we 
don't know. If we were to find out it was Fudge, would the case 
against Fudge be made?

What would his motivation be?   Not sure yet.  The events that Fudge 
sets in  motion end with Pettigrew's escape back to LV. Maybe 
that 's just the law of unintended consequences.  There would have 
been easier ways for Fudge to help LV out.

Maybe Fudge  wants to be sure that Sirius gets destroyed--something 
Azkaban wasn't doing. Maybe eyewitnesses saw more than has been 
revealed--like the man who turned into a rat. One does not get the 
Order of Merlin (it's one of his distinctions) when one lets the rat 
escape==one gets it for something like bringing the deadly Sirius 
Black in.  

 If Fudge is really evil --not necessarily a DE---wouldn't it be 
best to be a bumbling idiot around DD--who can read minds. Wouldn't 
it be best to humbly ask his advice?I don't know what to make of all 
this thread yet. But I do find it interesting that Fudge pops up in 
the story line so often at strategic points.  A person of interest 
indeed.

mhbobbin