[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPDISC: HBP1, The Other Minister

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 141833

justcarol67 wrote:

> Interesting that the PM knows about the Bones and Vance murders but
> doesn't realize that Bones and Vance were witches (5 and 14).

KJ writes:
    I think it interesting that the Bones and Vance murders were touched
on in this chapter as I find it extremely unlikely that the average
Prime Minister would even have an interest in the murders of a couple of
unconnected women. One would think that several different kinds of
killings would have happened in the country over the same time period,
for different reasons. Madam Bones may have been likely to have become
the new MoM and actually was murdered to prevent that from happening. I
find the murder of Emmeline Vance even more suspicious considering the
eventual offer made to Draco by Dumbledore. Both of these murders are
mentioned in later chapters as though to keep them in mind.
    Fudge also states that Voldemort threatened a mass Muggle killing if
he did not step down in Voldemort'd favour. Odd. If the MoM is elected,
how could he step down in anyone's favour? How did Voldemort contact
Fudge? Owl? Death Eater? Howler? Why would Voldemort threaten Muggles 
instead of threatening the families of the Ministry, and other wizards?
    Why would Voldemort interfere with the Muggle Ministry anyway? Why 
attack a juniour Minister? Nothing more was mentioned about the PM for 
the whole rest of the book. There are more questions to this chapter 
than answers IMO.

> 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. 

  KJ writes:
    I agree with this assessment. I think that Fudge is the 
baby-kissing, glad-handing politicion whose security and personal safety 
has been looked after by the Scrimgeour types. Fudge hasn't had to worry 
about it. Scrimgeour as a career Auror is security and safety conscious. 
It is to set the stage for a war situation instead of a negotiated 
settlement.

>  > 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?

   KJ writes:
    I think that this is perhaps suggesting a more successful Imperious 
later on. We see a bit about the Imperious Curse in OotP. It's almost 
like the fleeting mention of Polyjuice in CoS and the Cruciatis Curse in 
GoF. They keep coming up.
KJ