CHAPDISC: HBP1, The Other Minister

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 141822

<Carol snips Kathy K's excellent summary to answer some of her questions>
> 
> 1. Does this scene work? <snip>

The question of whether the scene works better here than in an earlier
book has been pretty thoroughly answered in the affirmative,so I'll
skip that part. I personally like the chapter chiefly because it's a
refreshing way to provide the information needed by first-time readers
of the HP bppks (Did anyone really start the series with Book 5? Well,
maybe a few dozen people.) Previous books, notably CoS and PoA,
provided tedious exposition about Harry's scar, the Dursleys being
Muggles, Snape being Harry's least favorite professor, etc. Events in
the WW were announced through articles in the Daily Prophet (still a
useful device, but it can't do everything). This time much more is
happening in the WW, and it's refreshing to see it from a different
perspective. Here as in chapter 1 of SS/PS and chapter 1 of GoF, the
POV character is a Muggle--one of us--but of course in a much more
responsible position with regard to dealing with the calamities than
either the now-dead Bryce or Vernon Dursley. (The third-person
narrator is given a different twist in chapter 2--no POV character at
all--but since that chapter is in Potioncat's capable hands, I won't
say any more about it here.)

I liked the subtle way in which Fudge's firing was revealed (rather
different from the Quibbler version we were treated to on JKR's
website!) and the revelation that Fudge was really the same
well-intentioned but weak man we saw in PoA and no longer the angry
opponent of Dumbledore who resorted to all sorts of dishonest
manipulation to avoid confessing (or believing) that Voldythingy was
really back. (Maybe he was under the influence of Umbridge in OoP?) I
enjoyed the humor as well. "Naturally he thought that the long
campaign and the strain of the election had caused him to go mad" (Am.
ed. 5).

BTW, I wonder how the oil painting of the froglike little man in a
long silver wig, obviously a wizard, got into the Muggle Prime
Minister's office. And did anyone notice the "we shall arrange for the
President [of the United States?] to forget to call" (Am. ed. 3)?
Memory Charms in the Oval Office? Moles in the White House?)
Interesting that the PM knows about the Bones and Vance murders but
doesn't realize that Bones and Vance were witches (5 and 14).

> 2. The PM felt like an `ignorant schoolboy.' Is this truly how they 
> were treating him and if so, how does the condescension of the two 
> wizards relate to their ostensible leadership of opposition to the 
> Muggle-hating DEs?  Is this condescension symptomatic of their rise 
> to power or a deeper problem within the wizarding community apart 
> from LV & co.?

I'm not sure how to answer this question. The Prime Minister must
really seem to them to be remarkably ignorant. Fudge is at least
kindly toward him, and there are moments of what appear to be sympathy
or empathy between them Scrimgeour is simply efficient and brusque. I
think the mere fact that Fudge in particular feels a moral obligation
to keep the Prime Minister informed indicates that there's no larger
problem, unless you consider the International Statute of Secrecy a
problem. They could easily have left the Prime Minister out of the
loop altogether.
> 
> 3.  The PM appreciates why a fearful wizarding public would prefer 
> Scrimgeour to Fudge.  What differences do we encounter between the 
> two?  Besides the lime green bowler hat


I've touched on this already. I think it's Scrimgeour's air of
toughness and efficiency, as if he knows exactly what he's doing and
is unafraid of what's facing him. Fudge, in contrast, twirls his
bowler hat and looks uncomfortable. Whether the impression Scrimgeour
creates matches his abilities remains to be seen. He certainly hasn't
accomplished much (arresting Stan Shunpike!) and he's trying to use
Harry as a propaganda tool, but at least he's not preventing the Daily
Prophet from reporting what little is known of the actual events. I
prefer Fudge, now that he's admitting the truth about Voldemort. He
has tact and compassion, even if he is a bit condescending. But he
lacks the strength to run a government during a war.

BTW, Scrimgeour is mentioned somewhere in OoP. I think he was asking
Tonks and Shacklebolt "funny questions." Anyone know the reference?
Evidently he suspected that the Order was forming again or that they
were hiding Sirius Black. Those problems appear to have been squared
away, now that Shacklebolt is acting as a sort of liaison to the
Muggles. Or have they?
> 
> <snip question 4>
> 
> 5.  Fudge says the dementors are breeding, which is causing the 
> gloomy weather throughout England.  We know prior to this the 
> dementors were guarding Azkaban and working with the Ministry, yet 
> there was no chilly mist covering the land until now.  Why weren't 
> they breeding before?  Ministry controls?  An agreement? 

Evidently the MoM had some degree of control over them and they were
confined to Azkaban. Voldemort has evidently given them new
privileges--or even free rein. 
> 
> 6.  Is "Serious" Black now officially innocent? 

Fudge says there's going to be an inquiry, and we know from chapter 3
that Sirius's will has been proved (is that the right word?). Whether
the information regarding his innocence has been made public is
unclear. It strikes me as odd that Fudge didn't identify the real
Muggle murderer, Wormtail, but maybe he doesn't see PP as a threat. 

Question: JKR twice puts "Serious" (Black) in quotation marks in this
chapter. Is she doing that to indicate that this is how the PM thinks
it's spelled (like "Kwidditch" for Quidditch)? Or is "Serious" not the
correct pronunciation for Sirius (which means I've been mispronouncing
it all this time)?
> 
> 7.  Scrimgeour performs an overt display of magic merely to keep his 
> statement to the PM that Kingsley Shacklebolt, likely as not the 
> only person nearby anyhow, is a wizard from being overheard.  Then 
> he leaves.  Fudge, on the other hand takes no precautions whatsoever 
> and then blurts out intimate knowledge of the WW.  Is the 
> Shacklebolt information somehow more sensitive than everything Fudge 
> said?  Is Scrimgeour protecting this information from Muggles, Death 
> Eaters, or both? <snip>

I think the locked door and plugged keyhole simply represents
scrimgeour's instinctive caution. He's not as paranoid as Mad-Eye
Moody, but his experience as an Auror has taught him to be
careful--and after all, if a Muggle overheard, he'd have to have his
memory modified. Fudge, never having been an auror, doesn't think that
way. One of his first actions on his first visit is to transform the
PM's teacup into a gerbil to prove that he really is a wizard and the
visit is not a hoax. He's essentially a diplomat; Scrimgeour is
essentially a tough-minded police captain. I don't think he's worried
about DEs overhearing or looking through the window, but he doesn't
want to openly violate the Statute of Secrecy. (Just my view at the
moment. I'm perfectly willing to see it from a different perspective.)
> 
> 8.  Who might have cast the poorly performed Imperius Curse?  What 
> makes the curse poorly performed?  Was it just sloppy magic, or 
> function similarly to the other Unforgivables in that you really 
> have to mean it for it to be successful?

No idea, sorry. Unless that's why Stan Shunpike was arrested! ;-)

Carol, apologizing for the lengthy answer and hoping that one or two
people will read it