ESE!Fudge

[eloise_herisson]

No: HPFGUIDX 113418

mhbobbin:
>>I agree that Fudge is a bad'un. I think the real debate is whether
Fudge is evil because he is an incompetent and corrupt politician
willing to do anything to hold onto power, or if he is evil as in
Death Eater. I'm not yet convinced he is a DE, but his actions /
obstructions / attitudes are consistently helpful to DEs and
Voldemort.<<


Eloise:
I have never believed he was a DE, but incompetent and corrupt and 
therefore willing not only to do anything he can to hold onto power, 
but when younger anything he could to gain power. This  is why I 
believe he could have been one of Rookwood's network. Just a few 
minor favours for Rookwood and a word would be put in the right ear? 
Like Bagman? If this theory is correct, things have been catching up 
with him and may explain some of his more recent behaviour.


Mike:
>>How many coincidences can there be before there is too many to
overlook? Here's what I've thought of.

1. Fudge turning up all through PoA, seemingly running the whole
Sirius-Pettigrew line. (thanks mhbobbin for that wonderul post
detailing all the exact suspecious behavior spots for PoA)<<

HunterGreen:
>>At the very least its clear that the Dementors are *specifically*
interested in Harry in PoA. Either someone told them to go after
Harry or they are acting on their own. So far, Fudge and Umbridge are
the only people we've seen communitcating with Dementors.<<



Eloise:
One could argue that the Dementors are here getting out of hand, 
although Fudge clearly has a fair amount of control still. I wonder 
if they really are so specifically interested in Harry, or whether 
his sensitivity to them  makes it seem so. When they invaded the 
Quidditch pitch were they interested in Harry, sensing Sirius 
watching him or just as the text states hungry? Dementors seem to 
make very dangerous allies.

As for his hands-on approach with Sirius, I've argued that this
was because he was part of the original frame-up. 


Mike:
>>2. Adamently refusing to believe LV has returned at the end of 
GoF<snip>.<<

HunterGreen:
>><snip> Whether or not Fudge is ESE!
its very hard to believe that he really doesn't think Voldemort is
back (he's either ESE! or *exteremely* corrupt, pretty much to the
point of being a different type of evil).<<


Eloise:
I think he really just does not *want* to believe that Voldemort if 
back. In the first place, even if he is not corrupt, then the 
consequences are just too awful to contemplate, all his cosy 
assumptions have flown out of the window and his incompetence and 
lack of foresight and preparation are going to see the end of his 
career. 

If he *did* do dodgy stuff in his early days, in pursuit of 
power, this might have potentially left him in debt to DEs or 
Voldemort supporters. But having gained power and believing Voldemort 
gone for ever, he is officially an enemy of the DEs and a supporter 
of the current regime. If Voldemort and the DEs are back, then
he's not going to be very popular with anyone on either side.

I think in the past, he's just looked out for himself without 
thinking out the future consequences. If he *is* hiding stuff about 
his past, then he is in danger of being found out and punished by the 
wizarding establishment or of even worse from Voldemort. He can't win.
All he can do is to stick his head in the sand and hope that if he 
denies it enough the situation will go away.

Mike:
>>3. Fudge's Dementor immediately ensures that Crouch Jr. keeps that
story to those in Dumbledore's inner circle. It appears that he would
have done this with Sirius too had Harry and Hermione not used the
Time Turner...<<

HunterGreen:
>>Again, I ask, why did he have a Dementor with him that day? We know
he wasn't really buying into the 'strange happenings' at Hogwarts,
and a school contest hardly seems like a 'danger' to him. If he
called the Dementor *after* Harry disappeared from the maze, how did
he get one there so fast?<<



Eloise:
He was scared. He told us and for once I think it was the plain 
honest truth. He said it was for personal protection which means he 
knew he was in danger. Was the danger from Crouch Jr not what he 
might *do* but what he might *say*? What Crouch Jr could have told 
about his past if not silenced? 

But yes, he already had the Dementor there, apparently with no prior 
knowledge that Crouch Jr was at Hogwarts. Did he feel a general need 
for protection because despite all his denials he *did* understand 
the truth?

Methinks he doth protest too much.

~Eloise