Weak and Evil!Fudge and the missing wands (was: Re: Old Question

[eloise_herisson]

No: HPFGUIDX 113002

Carol:
> I think it's much more likely that he found a wand at Grimmauld 
Place,
> either a family member's or the wand he used as a child (see my
> earlier post for an slight elaboration of this idea). He must have 
had
> a wand in his hand when he was caught--"evidence" that he had
> committed the crime. (Peter's, if it wasn't destroyed in the
> explosion, would presumably have been on the other side of the 
street.)


Eloise:
Aha!
This is where Evil!Fudge started, because, of course, Sirius' wand 
was not evidence of his guilt, but, if it had been PI'd, evidence of 
his innocence. It is my contention that Peter's 'guilty' wand was 
substituted for Sirius'. I don't think Peter's wand would have been 
destroyed in the explosion. The explosion, remember, was controlled, 
designed to give the illusion that Peter himself had been blown up, 
which we know he wasn't. I believe that he planted the robes (in 
other words, they were nothing to do with the explosion, either) at 
the scene along with the finger as it seems that animagi's robes 
transform with them. McGonagall is certainly still robed when she 
transforms back on Privet Drive! Surely Peter would have taken his 
wand with him if at all possible.

Although Peter's and Sirius' wands could no doubt easily be 
distinguished from each other, we must remember the climate of the 
times. Sirius was imprisoned without trial. He was caught apparently 
red handed. To those who object that he could have proved it wasn't 
his wand, I counter that he could have proved that his wand didn't 
commit the crime. But this didn't happen. Why not?

I'm going to take the liberty of quoting myself from way, way back in 
the mists of time (well, Feb 2002, #35393) rather than write it all 
up again.

I've headed this "Weak and Evil!Fudge" as this was always my 
contention about him and I've had to explain too often that I see him 
as fundamentally a weak man who thus becomes the tool of evil and 
isn't strong enough to stand up for good ather than as fundamentally 
evil.


> First the evidence.

> We assume that animagi's wands transform with them, along with 
>their clothes,  don't we?  But Pettigrew shows no sign of being 
>armed in the Shrieking Shack and in the graveyard, uses Voldemort's 
>wand.

> No wand is reported as found at the scene of the muggle massacre, 
>although robes and Pettigrew's finger are.  Voldemort is disembodied 
>and cannot carry a wand. 

> So there are potentially, between the events surrounding the 
>Potters' deaths 
> and GoF, *two* missing wands, one of which doesn't reappear.

> Who is one of the first on the scene after Pettigrew's disappearing 
>trick? Young Cornelius Fudge.

> Karkaroff tells us in the Pensieve scene that Rookwood had a  
>*network* of  well-placed wizards , both in the MOM and out. The 
>only one of these we know of so far (IIRC) is Bagman. 

> As MOM, Fudge takes a *very* hands-on approach to finding Harry and 
>capturing Sirius.

> He is far too friendly with Lucius Malfoy.
> The secret chamber under the Malfoy's living room doesn't appear to 
>have been searched, despite Harry and Ron finding out about it in 
>CoS and Ron's determination to tell his father.

> He has an elevated view of the superiority of pure-blood and proper 
>wizarding pride which is uncomfortably close to Voldemort's doctrine.
 
> So... What if Fudge was one of Rookwood's network? He could have 
>been in on Pettigrew's diappearance, which has all the hallmarks of 
>being planned (albeit, it must have been arranged rapidly, and was 
>another of those plans  which could so easily have gone wrong) and 
>could have framed Sirius.

> Think for a moment. One of the biggest problems with Pettigrew's 
>escape plan is the evidence which Sirius' wand could give via *prior 
>incantato*. Sirius' descent into hysteria and his guilt-
>induced 'confession' couldn't be predicted. If he had kept calm and 
>demanded that his wand be allowed to give its evidence, his 
>innocence might have been demonstrated instantly. 

> What if someone (Fudge) substituted the guilty wand for Sirius' 
>wand. No danger of the verdict (not that it came to trial) being 
>overturned. No danger of any deranged tale that it was really 
>Pettigrew who had killed the muggles being believed.

> So that could be where Pettigrew's wand ended up.

> Now there is also the possibility that Pettigrew *has* rescued 
>Voldemort's wand from the rubble. Could this too, be passed on to 
>Fudge, who then could have returned it to Pettigrew after his escape 
>from Harry et al. Alternatively, Fudge could have passed it on to 
>Lucius Malfoy to add to his collection of Voldemort memorabilia.
 
> What about this hands-on approach to finding Harry and Sirius? 
> If Fudge knows that Sirius is innocent, then he might want to get 
>to Harry first, to find him before Sirius can convince him of his 
>innocence, which could than be reported straight back to Dumbledore. 
>He also of course wants to make sure that Sirius is eliminated, so 
>that his own complicity in the plot doesn't come to light. No wonder 
>he wants to give Snape the Order of Merlin - he's just saved his 
>bacon.
> 
> So why his reaction to being told that Voldemort is back? Well, he 
>hasn't exactly been a faithful servant has he?  Basically in this 
>theory, he is a weak, foolish and self-interested man who has just 
>swum with the tide, joining whichever side seemed to be in the 
>ascendency, without the foresight to realise that the Dark Lord 
>could rise again and without the moral fibre to  face up to what he 
>has done or attempt to make up for it. He doesn't want Voldemort 
>back because it puts him on the wrong side. But joining Dumbledore 
> means abandoning all those nice cosy assumptions he has, joining 
>forces with  groups he'd rather ostracise and the running the risk 
>of being uncovered.
> 
> I admit the evidence is circumstantial, but it *could* 
>work....couldn't it?

~Eloise