Percy

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 166089

Carol earlier:
> > > Yes, that's my impression as well. He's tried before the entire
 Wizengamot, but Fudge is not in charge of sentencing, Madam Bones is.
> > .
> > 
> Ceridwen:
> > 
> > So, did Dumbledore fail to sort things out because there was a
full hearing of the Wizengamot?  Or was he successful?  It worked out
well, and Madam Bones being "strict but fair" was a large part of 
that.  Since it's the Wizengamot, Fudge is not in charge.  It seems 
> > to me that a full court was the best and fairest thing for Harry.  
> 
> 
> Errrm...Madam Bones in charge, of sentencing or anything else in the
Wizengamot session?  It seemed quite apparent that it was FUDGE who 
WAS in charge, as much as anyone was, both bringing the charges and 
acting as chairman of the gathering.  Madam Bones seemed only one 
member of the Wizengamot ... albeit a witch of very strong 
personality.  And it may well be that DD used the full Wizengamot as a
way of countering Fudge, hoping that his influence with Madam Bones
and his few remaining friends on the tribunal would sway the day.  But
it seems much more likely that Fudge was inflating the charges to a
full trial situation in order to pack in as many supporters as
possible and bring the full weight of official power squarely down on
Harry, and by extension Dumbledore.  

Carol responds:
Madam Bones, who holds the same position as Crouch Sr. did before he
was "shunted sideways" into the Department for international Magical
Cooperation, *is* in charge of the hearing:

Mr. Weasley tells Harry, "The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia bones's
office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and
she's the one who'll be questioning you."

Tonks adds, "Amelia Bones is okay, Harry. She's fair, she'll hear you
out" (123).

And Sirius Black helpfully notes, "And if it's not [fine], I'll see to
Amelia Bones for you" (OoP am. ed. 123).

Now granted, the hearing is moved to the Wizengamot's interrogation
chamber and the time has been changed, which has to be Fudge's doing
since Dumbledore didn't know about it (139). Presumably, Fudge's
intention was to prevent DD from acting as witness for the defense.
And Fudge has added himself and his undersecretary, Delores Umbridge,
to the list of interrogators (138), along with Amelia Bones. (Percy is
just the scribe.)

However, it's still Amelia Bones's job to determine the facts, which
she succeeds in doing despite Fudge's interference. When Harry
mentions his Patronus, Madam Bones takes over the questioning from
Fudge, and she takes Harry's statement about Dementors seriously. To
be sure, it's Dumbledore who makes sure that a witness, Mrs. Figg, is
heard (her testimony is only partially perjured; she didn't *see* the
Dementors, but she knows full well they were there and that Harry
conjured the Patronus in self-defense--"that was what happened" is the
truth). DD addresses Madam Bones, not Fudge, when he makes the request
for Mrs. Figg to be heard and Madam Bones grants it. Both Fudge and
Madam Bones question her, and Madam Bones contradicts Fudge when he
says that Mrs. Figg was not a convincing witness. Umbridge gets in her
two cents with regard to Dementors being sent by the Ministry (she, of
course, is the one who sent them, but we don't know that and neither
do the other characters). After a long digression, DD reminds Fudge
that the Ministry doesn't have the authority to expel Hogwarts
students, or to confiscate wands without proof of guilt (that, not
Azkaban, would have been the consequence of the disciplinary hearing).
DD reminds Fudge that the purpose of the hearing is to determine
Harry's guilt or innocence on a particular charge. Then Madam Bones
asks for a show of hands" "Those in favor of clearing the witness of
all charges?" (Erm, "witness"? Shouldn't that be "the accused"? A
Flint here?) "And those in favor of conviction?" (150). Madam Bones,
who is in charge of the proceedings, doesn't vote, but Fudge does. He
is, however, overruled by the majority of the Wizengamot. Fudge does
say, "Very well, very well, cleared of all charges," but technically,
that line should go to Madam Bones.

If I were to characterize their roles here, I would call Fudge the
prosecuting attorney, with Umbridge as his assistant, and Madam Bones
as the judge and the Wizengamot as the jury.

Carol, agreeing with Lupinlore that Fudge, not DD, arranged for the
"full criminal trial" before the Wizengamot (as opposed to a
disciplinary hearing) and with Ceridwen that the trial turned out to
be a good thing for Harry (though I think a hearing before Amelia
Bones alone would have achieved the same results had the plot not
required Umbridge's and Fudge's presence)