Was Crouch Junior a DE? (was Re: ESE!Fudge)

[mhbobbin]

No: HPFGUIDX 113553

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Hannah" <hannahmarder at y...> 
wrote:
> > 
> > HunterGreen wrote:
> > We don't even know for sure if Crouch Jr. was a DE at all before 
> he was arrested. 
> 
> Hannah: Well, he had a place in the circle of DE's.  In the 
> graveyard in GoF, it seems that they all stand in set places, and 
LV refers to one of the empty places as belonging to his loyalist 
servant, the one who delivered Potter etc. Crouch Jr. in other 
 words.  So he was certainly a DE.  I admit that the extent of his 
 fanatacism may be due to his time in Azkaban.  I think that he was 
 probably that devoted all along, but that is just my opinion.
> snip snip snip

mhbobbin:
I'm sorry to raise the ghastly endless unresolved discussion of 
*GASP* The Three Missing Death Eaters, but when it is said that 
Crouch Junior had an empty place in the DE Circle, that is  an 
unresolved assumption. The one we are led to believe by Madame 
Rowling, who likes to send us wandering down the wrong path. 

If only someone had thought to --when Crouch Junior reappeared as 
the Polyjuice Potion wore off--lift the sleeve on his shirt and look 
for the Death Mark. Because of that omission we are condemned to 
wonder whether Crouch Junior was truly the Third Death Eater. Until 
proven, I think that assumption is best written in pencil not ink.

The key is the word *re-entered* my service.  If we absolutely knew 
that Crouch Junior was a DE before the Fall, then  it would be safer 
to assume he was the most faithful servant, stationed at Hogwarts 
that LV refers to. IMO, JKR left the door open just wide enough for 
us to consider it just might be Snape that is the Third Death Eater. 
And at the moment that LV is saying it, there are two other 
suspicious characters at Hogwarts: Ludo Bagman and Fudge. That is, 
in addition to Karkoroff.  In the first reading of GOF, it seemed to 
make sense that the three missing DEs were Karkoroff, Snape (left me 
forever) and Crouch Junior. But subsequently, I am less convinced.

Crouch Jr's involvement with the DEs before LV's fall is still an 
open question, IMO, and until it is shown that Crouch Jr. was guilty 
of torturing the Longbottoms etc. then it's hard to conclude that he 
is the DE that "reentered my service" and  more than a Primary 
Suspect of being the Third Death Eater.

mhbobbin