Which Dumbledore ?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 157420

Carodave wrote:
> I don't remember Mundungus wearing a dress or disguise in HBP (not 
> to say it didn't happen!).  I was referring to the first DA meeting 
> at the Hogs Head in OotP, when HRH sees the witch in the Hogs Head.  
> Sirius tells them later (with his head in the Gryffindor fire) that 
> the witch was Mundungus.  He says that Mundungus was barred from the 
> Hogs Head 20 years ago and the barman has a long memory.  Since 
> Moody's spare invisibility cloak was taken when Sturgis was 
> arrested, Dung needs to wear the disguise in order to keep an eye on 
> Harry in the pub.
> 
> So if I understand correctly, and Dung is there keeping watch over 
> Harry, how did he know that Harry would be in the Hogs Head that 
> day?  It was a secret meeting, relatively, and no one from the order 
> was told.  Dung was already there when HRH arrived.  Hmmm...maybe 
> Flitwick informed the Order that Hermione was asking about the Hogs 
> Head?  It's not a huge leap to figure that Hermione will be 
> accompanied by Harry and Ron...
> 
> Carodave, who wants to know if others wonder about this

Carol responds:
Mundungus isn't wearing a dress when Harry sees him with the barman,
whom I'm sure is Aberforth. Whether Aberforth is a fence buying
Mundungus's stolen goods or they're both undercover spies for
Dumbledore, I don't know. Maybe the locket Horcrux exchanged hands at
that point. I'm also not sure what Mundungus would be doing in a bar
he was kicked out of, but maybe that's a cover story.

As for the scene in OoP where Mundungus is dressed as a witch, the
Hog's Head is a hangout for shady characters, including one Willie
Widdershins, the person who hexed the Muggle toilets, who happens to
be wrapped in bandages and is also listening in on the students'
meeting. I'm guessing that both are there by coincidence--Mundungus
may be spying on Willie for all we know. Mundungus reports to the
Order; Willie reports to Umbridge. I don't see how either could have
known the plans for the meeting Hermione arranged, but both would have
found it interesting and reported it to their superiors. Shades of a
certain young eavesdropper fifteen years earlier.
>
Carol, who thinks that DD's line about not being sure that Aberforth
can read is just an example of Dumbledorian whimsy