Fudge & the newspaper (was: Peter, Sirius, or Lupin: who was the spy again?)

[Chris]

No: HPFGUIDX 131837

> > SSSusan:
> > Heh heh.  You're being too naive, Chris. ;-)  The
> > reason Fudge gave the newspaper to Sirius was
> because it showed a photo of the Weasley family on the
> front... a photo which included Scabbers the rat... a
> being whom Fudge (ahem, make that ESE!Fudge) had
> reason to know Sirius Black would recognize.  Fudge
> gave Sirius the newspaper to get the wheels turning
> ["He's at Hogwarts!"].  Didn't you ever wonder why
> Sirius was able to escape so easily?  Perhaps one
> ESE!Fudge gave a  little instruction to the Dementors,
> had them back off a wee bit to  make it easier?
> 
> Juli: I like your idea Susan, no-one can be that
> useless, he's just way too incompetent not to be ESE,
> or can he? But if he is ESE, then why does DD used to
> trust him (at least before GoF)? I may sound a lot
> like Hermione but if we can't trust him, who can we
> trust? I believe DD up to his little toe, and I
> believe that if he thinks someone's *good*, an idiot
> nevertheless, but *good*, then he must be good. (Am I
> also being too naive Susan?). OTOH, every one of his
> actions in OoP would seem to me that he was ESE, so
> what if he turned Evil after LV returned?
> 

   Ok, I had started to write a sarcastic response to this, which 
included what I dreamed of as the exchange between Fudge and Sirius, 
but decided against it. Del chastised me on the use of sarcasm 
before, so I refrained. However, ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY? Since I've never 
had the pleasure of arguing with you two yet, this is a treat! :-)

   I got one response to this: Dumbledore! DD was just a **slight bit 
perturbed** when he discovered that Moody was really Barty. How would 
he react when he discovers that Fudge orchestrated everything? Hmmm. 
I wonder. Perhaps open up the largest can of magical whoop-ass the WW 
has ever seen? Fudge would have to know this. LV can not protect 
Fudge from Dumbledore. You would say, well maybe Dumbledore will 
never discover that it was Fudge. If you were Fudge would you take 
this chance? I sure as hell wouldn't. I don't care if Harry is the 
only one who can beat LV. There is a reason LV fears Dumbledore. I 
don't give Fudge much credit, but he has to be smarter than this. 
Here's Fudge's line of thinking:

   "I'm the minister of magic. However, LV is stronger than me, and I 
fear that to not align myself with him is pure suicide. Who cares 
that LV got whupped up on by a baby? He's going to be stronger this 
time around, and if I help him return by orchestrating everything and 
pulling off the greatest acting coup in history, he will surely 
reward me! Dumbledore, smumbledore! I'm the minister of magic, he's a 
school teacher. Big Deal! Harry...just a teenage whelp. Without DD 
he's nothing. I can't wait till the Dark Lord returns. **singing** 
It's a beautiful day in the neighboorhood..."

   To imitate Umbridge: hem-hem! No!

Chris