Chapter 1

[alm48er]

No: HPFGUIDX 136788

First post.

I haven't seen this question asked yet (please forgive me if this has
been addressed, as I haven't yet caught up on all the posts, but I did
do a search). 

JKR often slips in important bits of information, and I'm thinking
that the fact that Kingsley Shacklebolt is working for the Muggle
Prime Minister is that bit of information that makes Chapter 1
necessary.  Why would DD station a member of the Order in the Muggle
world?  

Here I must reveal myself to be in the Snape Loyal to DD camp, and say
that my conjecture is that Shacklebolt is very carefully positioned so
as to be available as someone for Snape to report to.  I have read so
many opinions both sides of the issue; many of them refer to the fact
that now the Order believes Snape to have killed DD because they were
at Hogwarts and heard Harry say that.  Therefore, he is of no further
use to the Order because he has no one to report to.

I contend that isn't entirely true.  Not all Order members were
stationed at Hogwarts.  Shacklebolt wasn't, and if Aberforth is in the
Order, he wasn't either.  And there are all the Percy!Spy theories as
well.  And I'm sure there are other Order members we don't know about.
 In fact, JKR has mentioned at least one in interviews that we haven't
properly met yet (she's likely referring to Aberforth, but maybe she
isn't).

Anyway, Chapter 1 was very amusing with all the Prime Minister funny
stuff about Major/Blair, and a good way to recap the series so far and
introduce Scrimgeur.  However, that tidbit about Shacklebolt was more
than just an amusing joke about wizard competence, I think.  Do you?

alm