Trelawney, Polyjuice Potion, house elves and Fudge

[alshainofthenorth]

No: HPFGUIDX 113152

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sad1199" <sad1199 at y...> wrote:
> sad1199 here:
> 
> 4. I still think Fudge is a bad guy. He always seems to do the 
wrong 
> thing at the right time for the bad guys. For instance, WHY, WHY, 
> WHY would he bring the dementor in to give the Soul Kiss to Barty 
> Jr.? So no one would hear the TRUTH, of course! Again, the truth is 
> only known by a select few because of Fudge. There was something I 
> didn't like about Fudge in PoA but, I don't have that book in front 
> of me now. It was something about why is he so nice to Harry when 
> Sirius is loose and then doesn't believe Harry later, or something 
> like that. Anyway, my point is I believe Fudge is a.) one of the 
> evil ones or b.) under an Imperious Curse or some other curse (by 
> whom?).
> 

Alshain (the following text is but my opinion, of course):

Or c. what Lenin used to call "a useful idiot". Oh, Fudge is a bad 
guy allright, but you don't have to be a Death Eater in disguise or 
under the Imperius curse to be a bad guy. I consider Fudge as a 
politico on a post he isn't suited for (remember, it was mostly an 
accident that he got the job. Had not Crouch sr. experienced a drop 
in popularity, Dumbledore said no etc. Fudge wouldn't be where he is 
today.) He's second choice, and he knows it very well. Unfortunately 
his talent is smaller than his love for power, so he gets desperate 
when something happens that rocks his precious status quo and it's 
demanded that he actually do something that might risk his position.

His treatment of Harry is perfectly in-character as well. In PoA he 
views Harry as the Saviour of the Wizarding World, a naive child who 
can turn into a valuable ally one day. Ergo, he has to be kept safe 
and undisturbed as much as possible, and it's no sacrifice at all for 
Fudge to do so. Indeed, being seen as one of the mentors and 
protectors of The Boy Who Lived is only going to increase his status.

But starting from GoF, Harry becomes inconvenient. Taking him 
seriously means that Fudge will have to make significant changes in 
his behaviour, make unpleasant decisions, even face his own 
shortcomings, and Fudge rather uses every dirty trick there is to 
keep people from believing Harry and demanding a change. Fudge's 
essential characteristics haven't changed at all -- he still thinks 
first and foremost of himself and about how he's going to stay in 
power. Only the situation has changed.

I like Fudge just fine the way he is and haven't any wish to see him 
revealed as a Death Eater. The cynic and political scientist in me 
enjoys the way he's written.

Alshain