Ludo Bagman (Was: Killing/Persecution/Pettigrew/Marriage-Professors,Contract/

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 155175

> Carol wrote:
> I agree that Bagman isn't a Death Eater, but I don't think that JKR
> will leave us hanging regarding his fate. <SNIP balance>

Goddlefrood:

Some months ago I wrote a piece regarding the identity of the BBDE, 
speculating that Ludovic Bagman was he. I have retooled that piece 
quite significantly and present the same hereunder to persuade 
(perhaps) that Bagman remains a loyal Death Eater.

I do agree that we have not heard the last of Ludo and while he may 
have only a minor part to play he will certainly be one of the loose 
ends that is neatly tied up. The Death Eaters in general need to be 
neutralised and it somewhat surprises me that most lists overlook 
this aspect of the continuing saga. LV's demise would not necessarily 
eliminate the others hungry to jump in.

Well here is the long piece:

My conclusion is that the BBDE is none other than Ludovic Bagman and 
what follows sets out supporting material for this view and also the 
opinion that Bagman was and is a Death Eater whether reluctantly or 
otherwise.

The relevant known facts first: -

(i) Ludovic Bagman was accused of activities relating to the Death 
Eaters, which are unspecified, in the aftermath of Voldwar 1. He is 
found guilty of passing information to Rookwood and basically let off 
due to his popularity as a Quidditch player. Harry believes Bagman to 
be a Death Eater and this is not contradicted by Dumbledore. I, 
therefore, conclude that Bagman was and is a Death Eater. Further 
evidence is set out below.

(ii) He played Beater for Wimbourne Wasps and England. This is 
suggestive of his size as Beaters are consistently described as large.

(iii) He disappeared after the third task in GOF and has not been 
heard from again.

The starting point for this discussion is the descriptions of the 
BBDE by various parties in Chapters 28 and 29 of HBP. I have 
concluded that the perspective of each character in describing the 
BBDE is important to establishing exactly how large he is, so now for 
your enlightenment, he is described thus:

(a) Through Harry's filter when first meeting the BBDE he is said to 
be enormous ("Harry saw Tonks fighting an enormous blond wizard" 
[Chapter Twenty Eight – The Flight of the Prince, page 558] and "I 
know, I'm on it!" said Harry, aiming a hex from the floor at the 
enormous blond Death Eater [page 559])

(b) Again from Harry's POV "he could just make out three figures 
racing across the lawn, heading for the gates beyond which they could 
Disapparate – by the looks of them, the huge blond Death Eater 
" 
(page 560)

(c) Also from Harry's POV, but with Hagrid to compare against "the 
blond Death Eater was aiming curse after curse at the gamekeeper" 
(page 561).

(d) Twice again described as huge and once again as enormous from 
Harry's POV (pages 562 and 563).

(e) Ginny tells us in Chapter Twenty Nine – The Phoenix Lament on 
page 571 "And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit by a Killing Curse the 
huge blond one was firing off everywhere-". She also says huge in her 
description on page 578.

(f) Ron on page 578 says "and that massive Death Eater was still 
firing off jinxes all over the place"

(g) Lastly Lupin on page 579 says: "Well, the big Death Eater had 
just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in".

There are, therefore, no less than five perspectives on the BBDE, two 
from Harry and one each from Ginny, Ron and Remus. Remus, who is the 
only fully-grown wizard, says the BBDE is big, while the three 
students say he is variously enormous, huge or massive. It is 
interesting that when seen against Hagrid he is described only as the 
blond Death Eater, in my view because in comparison to Hagrid, who we 
know to be gargantuan, he is of relatively normal looking size, or to 
put it another way of manageable proportions.

The only people in canon with Death Eater associations who have been 
described as big or large or tall are Ludovic Bagman and Goyle Snr. 
(apart from Crabbe Snr., who is currently in Azkaban probably with a 
baby head unless he has been cured or miraculously evaded capture 
somehow). Despite speculation on whether brothers are similar (and I 
know that myself and my brother bear no resemblance to each other 
whatever other than our height) there is no support in canon to 
suggest that Otto Bagman is a big man like his brother. In fact canon 
would oppose that viewpoint in light of the Weasley boys (except for 
hair colour), the Creeveys and the Dumbledores (while conceding that 
both Dumbledores have been described as tall).

Ludovic Bagman (hereinafter LB)

I am starting from LB as the youngest we have met him, that is during 
his trial, until his appearance, in my view, as the BBDE.

My main reasoning for concluding that LB is the BBDE is the 
descriptive material we were handed about him in GOF. Based on 
description alone LB is the only viable suspect to fit all 
descriptive details that we are given about the BBDE in HBP.

A younger LB is accused of "charges relating to the activities of the 
Death Eaters". (GOF Chapter Thirty – The Pensieve page 514). Note the 
plurality here suggesting that there was more than one count on LB's 
case, although he is pronounced guilty only of giving information to 
Rookwood, who he explains is a friend of his father's.

The description of LB at his trial is that "he was tall and lean and 
muscly" (GOF Chapter Thirty – The Pensieve page 514), in other words 
a typical Beater. This description lends weight to my view that 
Bagman is the BBDE in Half-Blood Prince. Another thought is that 
during the period from Bagman's disappearance to his re-emergence in 
Half-Blood Prince is a lapse of close to two years. He would have 
been living on the run and had plenty of time to lose the excess 
weight he had picked up and regain his muscularity and stature. 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.

> Valky in a much earlier post (trawl the archives if you will)
has stated, and I concur:

> I would say, that the rattling chains indicate Bagman is certainly 
*partially* guilty of the crime he is on trial for, if indeed that is 
what they do (and I tend to agree with Carol, that is 
what they do).

> In which case other misdeeds such as cheating on his bets, which we 
*don't know* was happening during VWI, might not have anything to do 
with the guilt that is implied in the Pensieve. Bagman is on trial 
for aiding Death Eaters, and the chains rattle ominously as though 
they *want* to lock him up for something, but he's up on the wrong 
charge, so they can't. The charge he should be up on, in that case 
*could* be that he was a Death Eater but one that doesn't necessarily 
always *aid them*. All befitting of an ex-beater who 'accidentally' 
knocks out / kills his so called cohorts in battle.

We first actually meet the head of the Department of Magical Games 
and Sports in the books at the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire. 
He is mentioned during the discussion regarding Bertha Jorkins's 
disappearance in Chapter 5 (Weasley's Wizard Wheezes) by Percy who 
says "Oh, Bagman's likeable enough, of course." (page 58, Bloomsbury 
hardback edition). 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's other activities.

The relevant quotation at this point is: "Mr. Crouch has taken a 
personal interest – she worked in our department at one time, you 
know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her – but Bagman just 
keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up 
in Australia instead of Albania." This is said by Percy in Chapter 5 
on page 58 of the Bloomsbury hardback edition. Now of course Bagman 
would try to delay anybody's attempts to locate Bertha, or at least 
her remains, until after the plot was carried out. Bagman does 
eventually send a search party, but reluctantly, and no doubt he 
would be able to send the searchers to the wrong location anyway.

The first descriptive material that is to hand regarding Bagman comes 
in Chapter 7 (Bagman and Crouch). In full it is: 

"He had the look of a powerfully built man gone to seed; the robes 
were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in 
the days when he played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed 
(probably broken by a stray bludger, Harry thought), but is round 
blue eyes, short blond hair and rosy complexion made him look like a 
very overgrown schoolboy." (Page 80, Bloomsbury hardback edition)

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.

When I had originally devised the theory my time line was off, in 
that at the point where I contended that LB had met Barty Jnr. in the 
woods Barty Jnr. was not yet aware of the plot against Harry, I still 
maintain that LB is a Death Eater even if he may be a little 
reluctant. Further support for this contention has come to light 
during my reread and I present it here in chronological order as in 
Goblet of Fire.

In Chapter Nine - The Dark Mark Bagman is encountered emerging from 
the trees close to where the Dark Mark is conjured and again we are 
supposed to believe that he is hiding from the Goblins. The relevant 
passage is:

'The words were hardly out of his mouth, when Ludo Bagman emerged 
from behind a tree right ahead of them.
Even by the feeble light of the two wands, Harry could see that a 
great change had come over Bagman. He no longer looked buoyant and 
rosy-faced; there was no more spring in his step. He looked very 
white and strained.
"Who's that?" he said, blinking down at them, trying to make out 
their faces. "What are you doing in here, all alone?"
They looked at each other, surprised.
"Well – there's a sort of riot going on," said Ron.
Bagman stared at him. "What?"
"On the campsite
some people have got hold of a family of Muggles
"
Bagman swore loudly. "Damn them!" he said, looking quite distracted, 
and without another word, he Disapparated with a small pop.
"Not exactly on top of things, Mr. Bagman, is he?" said Hermione, 
frowning.
"He was a great beater, though," said Ron, leading the way off the 
path into a small clearing, and sitting down on a patch 
of dry grass at the foot of a tree. "The Wimbourne Wasps won the 
league three times in a row while he was with them."' 
(Page 114, Bloomsbury hardback edition)

Shortly after this the Dark Mark appears and as we later find out 
Barty Crouch Jnr. had conjured it.

When Bagman says "Damn them!" he is referring to his fellow muggle-
baiting Death Eaters. It is likely that he is upset because he does 
not wish attention to be drawn to his Dark Lord's return until the 
time is right knowing about the events that have been set in motion 
already for Voldemort's return as I contend he does.

Bagman arrives where the Ministry wizards have just stunned Winky and 
Barty Jnr. and we are told `Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman's 
round, shiny face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky and then 
at Mr. Crouch.
"No!" he said. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! 
She'd need a wand for a start!"' (GOF Chapter Nine – The Dark Mark, 
page 119)

>From this I take it that LB knows how to conjure the Dark Mark and it 
is suggestive of his knowing the ways of the Death Eaters and 
probably that he is one.

Mr. Weasley, a few pages later (page 128) then helpfully tells 
us: "But I'll tell you this 
 it was only the Death Eaters who ever 
knew how to conjure it."

Further indicating that a person who, as LB clearly seemed to, knew 
how to conjure the Dark Mark is a Death Eater.

The next relevant matter regarding Bagman is when he is present 
during the choosing of the Triwizard Tournament champions, which 
actually turns into a Quatriwizard Tournament. He is described as 
having a boyish face (page 243, Bloomsbury hardback edition, Chapter 
14 - The Four Champions) and as looking rather excited when Harry is 
chosen as the fourth champion. Now obviously we are supposed to think 
that this is because Bagman foresees getting good odds on Harry so he 
could pay off the Goblins, and this may be partly true, however it 
also fits that he would be excited because the plam is now beginning 
to work and he knows that if he is able to guide Harry through the 
taskk successfully he would not only please Voldemort but 
also be able to clear his gambling debts.

In fact it makes perfect sense that Bagman would be happy for Harry 
to win the Tornament and help him with the tasks, as he subsequently 
attempts to do, in order that he fulfil his duty to the Dark Lord. If 
the plan is known to Bagman, as I believe it was, then he would 
consider that the bet could not lose as he would know that Harry must 
win for the plan to succeed and Bagman is obviously confident that it 
will.

In Chapter Seventeen – The Four Champions, after fake Moody has been 
talking about how Harry got into the Quatriwizard Tournament with his 
thoughts that someone is out to kill Harry on page 245 it says: `Ludo 
Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed 
 "Moody, old man 
 what 
a thing to say!"'

In my view LB is here trying to deflect suspicion away from what fake 
Moody outlined as the circumstances behind Harry's entry into the 
Tournament and the reasons for it. It seems to me that Bagman and 
fake Moody are deliberately attempting to direct us to look for 
alternative suspects (and of course at this point Karkaroff and Snape 
are still not cleared). This may appear contradictory of an earlier 
statement (and I'm not about to tell you which), but for a thoughtful 
respondent it would not destroy the argument.

Further support that I gleaned from a further read through of GOF. 
This is in respect of the description of LB amongst the Champions and 
with particular reference to Chapter Eighteen – The Weighing of the 
Wands.

We have been told that a wizard's or witch's wand is a good indicator 
of his or her size. The three champions' wands (I leave Harry out 
because he is not fully physically developed in GOF) are described 
with their lengths on pages 270 and 271. Cedric has a 12 ½ inch wand, 
Krum a 10 ¼ inch wand and Fleur a 9 ½ inch wand. This suggests that 
Cedric is rather tall, 
perhaps just a little shorter than Dumbledore, and that the other two 
are of fairly average size. LB is described as a "slightly overblown 
cartoon character, standing amid all the pale-faced champions" on 
page 305 (Chapter Twenty – The First Task). Despite disagreement with 
Carol I maintain that LB should be interpreted to be rather larger 
than all the champions, and if this supposition were correct then LB 
would certainly be a huge, nay perhaps enormous, man.

Further description of Bagman follows in Chapter 20 (The First Task) 
where the text states that: "Bagman looked somehow like a slightly 
overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced 
champions." This is indicative of his being substantially larger than 
the Champiosn, all of whom, apart from Harry, are adults in the 
wizarding world and have to be 
assumed to be fully grown as I myself was at that age. This lends 
further support to Bagman as the BBDE in Half-Blood Prince.

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).

Barty Crouch Snr.'s opinion of people must also be considered and 
further supports this article. In Chapter 21 (The House-Elf 
Liberation Front) Winky says: "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! My master 
isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"

Crouch Snr.'s suspicions seem to be correct as he is correct about 
his own son. As the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement 
during Voldwar I he is in a prime position to know the culpability of 
the Death Eaters. From this statement of Winky's it is taken that 
Crouch Snr. is far from believing Bagman was a dupe, which is 
confirmed by his reaction during Bagman's trial in the Pensieve. 

There is more significance in Winky's statement than may first 
appear. I contend that Bagman in some way was closely linked to 
Crouch Jnr., hence Crouch Snr's intense dislike of Bagman. This also 
links back to Bagman in the woods at the Quidditch World Cup. If I am 
right, and I believe I am, at least about Bagman being involved in 
the plot in book 4, then it would make sense that Crouch Jnr. and 
Bagman were closely associated and meeting prior to Bagman emerging 
from the woods at almost exactly the same spot Crouch Jnr. conjured 
the dark Mark.

Throughout the Triwizard Tournament Bagman tries to assist Harry so 
noticeably that Harry wonders why he is not trying to assist the 
other champions. Bagman would do this because he wants Harry to win 
and go to Voldemort. He also disappears before the Death eaters 
congregate, as George tells us in Chapter 37 (The Beginning)on page 
635 of the Bloomsbury hardback edition: "So Bagman had to run for it. 
Right after the third task." This would give him time to get outside 
the Hogwarts grounds and Apparate to the Little Hangleton graveyard 
with the other Death Eaters. Misdirection is given in that 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.

We are also handed information about LB by Rita Skeeter in Chapter 
Twenty Four – Rita Skeeter's Scoop. Rita was at LB's trial and would 
know of the circumstances leading up to it. She comments on page 
391 "he was always a bad liar." 

This certainly could lead one to the conclusion that Rita disbelieved 
LB about his excuse at his trial, if not for other possible lies. I 
conclude from this that Rita supports me in my contention hat LB is 
and was a Death Eater.

Rita also says on page 392 "I know things about Ludo Bagman that 
would make your hair curl
". 

Surely this could not only be referring to his being a dupe in 
passing information to Rookwood. There must be far more to it than 
that and it adds further support to the conclusion that LB is a Death 
Eater.

Moving to Chapter Thirty - The Pensieve when Harry is questioning 
Dumbledore about all he has seen on page 524 we find this exchange:

"Er," he said, "Mr. Bagman 
"
" 
 has never been accused of any Dark activity since," said 
Dumbledore calmly.

It transpires that this is exactly what Dumbledore says regarding 
Severus Snape as well. With what we now know of Severus we could not 
possibly say that he (Severus) was not a Death Eater. Whether Severus 
has renounced his position or not is obviously the subject of 
continued heated debate here and elsewhere.

To me this quotation is further support for LB being a Death Eater 
and yes I know it would apply equally to all Death Eaters from 
Voldemort's fall until his return, as they have been very careful not 
to be locked away like so many of their fellows. Why should Bagman be 
any different?

Voldemort in the graveyard when speaking to Lucius Malfoy says 
something quite unusual, it is on page 564 of Chapter Thirty Three – 
The Death Eaters:

"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it 
into the sky last summer?" 
 "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius 
 
you have disappointed me 
 I expect more faithful service in future."

How did Voldemort know that Lucius ran from the Dark Mark? I suggest 
that LB informed him at some point because LB himself joined the 
muggle-baiting Death Eaters. He only rejoined the Ministry wizards 
quite some time after they had arrived at the scene of the crime of 
conjuring the Mark. He would know that the Death Eaters dispersed 
when the Mark was seen in that circumstance.

The objections that have been raised regarding Veritaserum and Barty 
Jnr. not mentioning LB while under its influence are easily answered. 
Barty Jnr. only answers direct questions under Veritaserum. No one 
questioning him suspects LB and he is, therefore, not asked any 
questions regarding LB. This would explain why LB is not mentioned by 
Barty Jnr. Also LB could quite easily have gone to the graveyard as 
he is not present when Harry returns, thus confirming my earlier 
suggestion that LB disappeared as soon as Harry and Cedric did, while 
pausing only long enough to ascertain what the goblins' decision on 
the winner was.

Finally on LB it has been stated that Harry and at least Tonks saw 
his face. Tonks because she was battling him and Harry because he 
sent a hex at the BBDE's face. In response to this I say that Bagman 
has changed in two years, two years in which he has been dodging 
goblins, and has most probably changed somewhat in appearance, that 
is regained some of his former 
athleticism. Additionally Tonks may only have seen Bagman in passing 
previously, being a junior Auror compared to LB being a Head of 
Department during GOF. Harry's glimpse of the BBDE is fleeting and 
would be insufficient for him to conclude who the BBDE was. Also the 
Death Eaters are in the habit of wearing hoods and these would 
conceal their identities further. After all the hair, which is really 
the only description other than the size we have to work on, if long 
may show outside the hood.

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.

For completeness sake the first reference to the BBDE is on page 558 
of the Bloomsbury hardback edition of Half-Blood Prince in Chapter 28 
(Flight of the Prince)

LB is my favourite for the title of BBDE. That he is not in film four 
only supports my view that the BBDE by himself is not that important 
to the resolution of book 7. LB will be in film 7 if not film 6.

Goddlefrood who hopes not to rework this theory too many times and 
would welcome comments