Bagman as Loyal Death Eater and Big Blond

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 141521

Goddlefrood (I almost typed Glorfindel!) wrote:
><snip>
 
> My first article will put forth my view that the Big Blond Death 
> Eater (BBDE)is none other than Ludovic Bagman with supporting 
> material.
> 
> The relevant known facts first: -
> 
> (i)  Bagman was accused of being a Death Eater and it is clear he 
> was one.
> 
Carol responds:
Are you sure about this? In GoF he's placed on trial for passing
information to the Death Eater Rookwood, (GoF Am. ed. 592). He's
charged with activities relating to the DEs but is not charged with
being a DE himself. He gets off the charge by claiming that he didn't
know that his father's old pal Rookwood was a Death Eater. Admittedly,
the Wizengamot is prejudiced in his favor because he's a Quidditch
star with a charming boyish air conspicuously lacking in Karkaroff,
who would be unable to escape the charges against him by claiming that
he's been "a bit of an idiot," but it's possible that they reached the
right verdict for the wrong reasons. The chains on his chair rattle
ominously but don't bind him as they bind Karkaroff and the four DEs
who are found guilty of torturing the Longbottoms. If the chair
magically knows who is guilty and who isn't (it doesn't bind Harry
during *his* trial in OoP), then he's telling the truth: he didn't
deliberately pass information to a Death Eater. (I'd be interested in
seeing evidence that the Wizengamot was wrong, other than Winky's
claim that he's a "bad man" because her master, Mr. Crouch, says so.
Crouch clearly thinks he's guilty of associating with Death Eaters,
but he's overruled by those who think differently.)

> (ii) He played Beater for Wimbourne Wasps and England.

Carol:
True, but Viktor Krum is the Seeker for Bulgaria and no one is
accusing *him* of being a Death Eater. I'm not sure how that relates
to his being a Death Eater, but it certainly explains the
predisposition in his favor at the trial.

> (ii) He disappeared after the third task in Goblet of Fire and has 
> not been seen again.

Carol:
Yes, but the reasons you cite as suspicious could in fact be the real
reasons. From the standpoint of GoF as a detective novel (who put
Harry's name in the cup?), Bagman is one of the suspects who are
conveniently gathered for us in "The Four Champions": Bagman, Crouch
Sr., Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Snape, Fake!Moody, and Dumbledore
(accused by Karkaroff). At one point or another, most if not all of
these people behave suspiciously, but their behavior is later
explained (the debt to the goblins, in Bagman's case) and the finger
of guilt is placed on Crouch!Moody (who BTW gives the details of the
kidnap plot under Veritaserum and does not mention Ludo Bagman).

Goddlefrood: 
<snip>
> Bagman is put across as unconcerend about Bertha's disappearance, 
> however in light of this article I contend that Bagman knew all 
> about the plot to kidnap and kill Harry throughout the fourth book 
> and the references to his problems with the Goblins, while 
> undoubtedly genuine, are misdirection on Ms. Rowling's part to cast 
> suspicion away from Bagman.

Carol:
Or his lack of concern about Bertha is a red herring to make us
suspect his involvement in her disappearance, which in turn is
connected to the kidnap plot.

Goddlefrood: 
> The first descriptive material that is to hand regarding Bagman 
> comes in Chapter 7 (Bagman and Crouch). <snip> 
> 
> "He had the look of a powerfully built man gone to seed <snip> His
nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray bludger, Harry thought),
but [h]is round blue eyes, short blond hair and rosy complexion made
him look like a very overgrown schoolboy." 
> 
> This bears some close inspection in light of the description of the 
> BBDE in Half-Blood Prince. Bagman is powerfully built and he has 
> blond hair. QED? 

Carol:
Sorry. No QED. There are undoubtedly a great many powerfully built
blond men in England, some of whom could well be members of this list.
We're certainly not told that the big blond Death Eater has a broken
nose, round blue eyes, and a rosy complexion. And it's unlikely that
Harry would fail to recognize Bagman's face and voice after such
frequent contact with him, not to mention that his voice was broadcast
magically throughout the stadium at the QWC and all three TWT events.
It would be extraordinary, IMO, if Harry failed to recognize it.
> 
Godfroodle (Oops! Sorry. Goddlefrood):
> In Chapter 10 (The Dark Mark) Bagman is encountered emerging from 
> the tress close to where the Dark Mark is conjured and again we are 
> supposed to believe that he is hiding from the Goblins. <snip quote>
> 
> Shortly after this the Dark Mark appears and as we later find out 
> Barty Crouch Jnr. had conjured it. I contend that Bagman was meeting 
> Crouch Jnr. either in furthereance of the plot or to have it 
> explained to him and to warn him off from having Bertha Jorkins 
> searched for too closely.

Carol:
Again, this suspicious behavior sets him up as one of the suspects in
the kidnap plot but is otherwise explained later in the book, as is
Mr. Crouch's bizarre behavior. It's as much a red herring as
Karkaroff's DE connections. His attempts to help Harry are also
explained by the goblin debt and need have no other cause.

Godfroodle:
> At this point I state that for those of you who seem doubtful of the 
> foregoing consider that when the BBDE is come across in Half-Blood 
> Prince Harry does not see his face at all. He (BBDE) is certainly 
> not, as The Harry Potter Lexicon speculates, the brutal-faced Death 
> Eater (who I believe to be Yaxley). 

Carol:
Christine has already convincingly addressed this point so I won't
comment. I do agree that the brutal-faced DE is Yaxley (and Amycus and
Alecto are the Carrows). Otherwise, why would JKR have Snape give
those names in "Spinner's End"? Or the BBDE, as you call him, could be
Yaxley.

Goddlefrood: 
> George speculates that Bagman ran because of the Goblins, whereas it 
> is more plausible that he did not want to miss his master's return.

Carol:
George has good reason to know why Bagman disappeared. He and Fred
have been cheated out of their gold just as the goblins have. If he
didn't want to miss his master's return, why wasn't he in the
graveyard and why haven't we heard from him since?
>

Goddlefrood:
<snip> If he were really either the coward or oathbreaker then 
> surely he would have been located and killed and his demise 
> commented upon somewhere in the wizarding world. It never is, which 
> reinforces me in my belief that Bagman is a loyal Death Eater 
> through and through.

Carol:
As it's been pretty clearly established that Karkaroff was the coward
and Snape the one Voldemort believed would not return (see "Spinner's
End"), this appears to be a straw man argument. (Granted, Snape wasn't
killed, but that's because of his talents as an Occlumens and his
powers of persuasion.) Just because he isn't one of those two people
(neither is Dumbledore or Harry) doesn't make him a Death Eater. There
is no indication that Bagman was in the graveyard, and the only
evidence that he *might* have been is the Death Eaters that Voldemort
passed in silence. And none of the DEs present showed up late and out
of breath as Bagman would have had to do if he ran from the Quidditch
Field to get his cloak and mask and then ran to Hogsmeade to operate.
Otherwise, he'd have had to show up in his Wimbourne Wasp robes. I
doubt that Harry would have overlooked his presence if that were the case.
>
Goddlefrood: 
> One final piece of fun evidence regarding Bagman as the BBDE is 
> contained in Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Wisp (page 
> 52, Bloomsbury hardback edition) where the Bludger Backbeat is 
> described thus:
> 
> "A move by which the Beater strikes the Bludger with a backhanded 
> club swing, sending it behind him or her rather than in front. 
> Difficult to bring off with precision but excellent for confusing 
> opponents."
> 
> This fits in well with the BBDE's actions during the fight at 
> Hogwarts where he is firing off spells all over the place, and 
> including I contend behind him so that his aim is not necessarily 
> perfect.
>
Carol:
Bagman was and probably still is a skillful athlete. The BBDE appears
to be clumsy. And movements with a bat aren't really comparable to
wand movements. It's really best to be careful where you're aiming
that AK. Sheer clumsiness and incompetence are one thing; showy
maneuvers like shooting from behind your back are another--inexcusable
folly if word ever gets back to Voldemort. (BTW, I think the BBDE is
history. LV isn't going to like what happened to Gibbon.)

Carol, who does wonder what happened to Bagman and suspects that the
goblins are holding him hostage