Fudge

[amycrn4230]

No: HPFGUIDX 116112


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:

...for the sneaky, devious mind anything is possible.
 
How about another little twist?
When Fudge ascended to glory in the Ministry, and assuming that it
was the remaining DEs who  helped to get him there, who was the
mastermind for this dastardly plot? Sure as hell it wasn't Voldy, he
wasn't around and very few expected him to come back. 
Wanna place bets on Malfoy?
 
So is/was Fudge there to further Voldy's agenda - or Malfoy's? -  
which might not be the same thing at all. There is that pointed 
remark in the Graveyard - 
"Lucius, my slippery friend...[...] your exploits at the QWC were 
fun, I daresay...but might not your energies have been better 
directed towards finding and aiding your master? [...] I expect more 
faithful service in future."
 
Lucius has already made one power-play - TR's diary. He must have
known that the diary would cause mayhem, why else slip it into
Ginny's books? And it looked for a while as if DD would be out on 
his ear, Hogwarts closed down, all with the connivance of the 
Ministry, leaving Malfoy pulling all the strings.
 
And it appears that Diary!Tom is a different entity to Voldy (JKR 
won't let on what would have happened if D!T had been successful in
draining the life force from Ginny - something we'll find out later,
she  says) My own theories regarding Possessed!Tom are compatible
with this; D!T is Tom pure and simple, Tom before his mind was 
invaded, but Voldy is Tom plus Sally essence.
The first Malfoy might be able to manipulate and influence - he's only
a spiteful schoolkid after all; the second? No chance. Too powerful. 
 
While the cat's away, the mice will play. And Malfoy is playing a very
dangerous game. He would much prefer that he was the puppetmaster
behind the Minister, all it costs is cash - than go through all this 
tedious fighting stuff. After all, you can lose a war and the 
consequences might be a bit too permanent for his liking. Get outed 
(as he was in GoF) and you're still on your feet and you can try 
again when nobody's looking.
 
Above all Malfoy is the survivor type. Before the end I expect him to 
make overtures towards DD, maybe even in the next book if it looks
as if Voldy is going down the tubes or his own safety is in jeopardy. 
Would you trust him? "The smiler with the knife under his cloak."
 
Bagman. Oh, yes. I fully expect that creep to turn up again, if only
to get his just desserts. But he may turn up as a dangerous  agent
of the enemy. How would it be if he distracted Ron by offering to
get him taken on as a player by the Chuddley Cannons? With Harry,
Hermione and perhaps DD being against it?
Could cause quite a split.

Kneasy

Amy here: So...I'll give you good odds on Malfoy too, but there's 
that sticky situation with everyone in the WW now knowing he is a 
deatheater. Mind you, he is still the one with the money, so what 
unsuspecting little wizard will he connive into doing his dirty work 
this time? I still think it will sink in that he is following a big 
mean wizard with dirty blood, and that won't set well...who 
knows...maybe Malfoy will get LV somehow for HP, and then the real 
villain will be Malfoy...I doubt it, but thought I'd throw it out 
there...back to my point...I just don't see LV having the following 
he once had. 1. He has been foiled one too many times by a kid. 2. He 
has been outed as afore mentioned. 3. Everyone knows there is still 
this white haired guy out there who cares for HP, and who LV still 
fears. Now,,,this will either really put a thorn in his (LV's) side, 
and he'll get it going himself, but as you said, he doesn't do his 
own master planning (or didn't) because he was incapacitated, (having 
an out of body experience), OR, what? I don't know, but I think 
Malfoy's money will fund it, or he'll try to get Malfoy Jr. in on the 
action in the hopes that he will live up to his Father's 
expectations, but...alas, he won't. He just doesn't have it in him...
I guess I have come up with exactly nothing except a few haphazard 
guesses, and a lot of run-on sentences, but hey it's been fun! :)
and oooh, I like your theory about Ron getting offered a Quidditch 
position...that would be a hard one for him to pass up, but 
personally, I hope he sees the light before he really loses his 
head....literally. :)
 - Amy