Is Umbridge on the side of good or bad?

[Eustace_Scrubb]

No: HPFGUIDX 127134


> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "JaanisE" <jaanise at h...>
wrote:
> > And what about my example of Umbridge? Is she good or bad? She's
neither
> > on DE nor OotP side, I suppose?


Deborah now:
> 
> She's a useful idiot, I think - not even a fellow-traveller. She's
> Organisation Woman, a born bureaucrat, and she genuinely believes 
> that Rules Are Right.
<snip>
> Deborah

Eustace_Scrubb now:
Well, if she genuinely believes that the Rules are Right, she
certainly seems to believe that she only has to follow those that seem
convenient to follow at any given moment.  I find it difficult to
believe that there were not rules against the sending of dementors to
attack unsuspecting teenagers (well, one unsuspecting but prepared and
the other a clueless muggle) in the London suburbs.  Not to mention
using Unforgiveable Curses on Hogwarts students.  

I think I'd characterize Umbridge's belief as "the Minister is Right,"
and that all actions taken to carry out his wishes are acceptable. An
interesting question might be whether this loyalty is to Fudge himself
or to any Minister of Magic.  This belief seems to be pretty close to
(or possibly a logical extension of) that attributed to Bartemius
Crouch Sr. when he was head of Magical Law Enforcement in Voldemort
War I.

Cheers,

Eustace_Scrubb

(who just thought of another Umbridge question, but guesses he'll put
that in a later message rather than muddy up this thread further.)