The Noble House of Black

[psychic_serpent]

> Kris:
> 
> > Here's another question that is bothering me.  And this may have 
> > been brought up before.  I understand why there wasn't a funeral 
> > held.  Sirius still is considered a criminal.  But why wasn't 
> >  there a public notice of his death.  I expected Fudge to 
> > capitalize on the fact that "one death eater was at least 
> > dead."  We all know the truth, but Fudge could have manipulated 
> > that information to keep his public image slightly positive.  Or 
> > does Fudge not know about his death?

"Monika Hübner" <mo.hue at w...> wrote:

> Dumbledore might have told him. Fudge now recognizes Voldemort
> is back and that Dumbledore (and Harry) were right. And Sirius was 
> one of those who contributed to catch at least some of the escaped
> Death Eaters, I think it would be very difficult for Fudge to 
> maintain he was a criminal. But of course being Fudge, he'll try 
> to pass it under the blanket. Maybe we'll learn what happened in 
> Book 6, after all Kingsley is the one responsible for the hunt for 
> Sirius, and he's a member of the order.
 
Right, there's a whole huge mess that needs to be sorted out here.  
If Fudge were to trumpet Sirius' death, he'd have to explain who 
killed him.  Bellatrix Lestrange is the one who killed him, so then 
he'd have to explain how ANOTHER Azkaban escapee managed to get into 
the Ministry, not to mention why they were attacking each other.  
This wouldn't necessarily lead to Sirius being exonerated 
posthumously; you never know when Fudge will do something like 
decide that it was Bellatrix who was innocent and that's why she 
killed her cousin, although anyone who knew her would probably never 
make the mistake of thinking she was on the good side.  

I think Fudge, although acknowledging Voldemort's return now, will 
in fact sweep under the rug everything that happened at the 
Ministry.  It would be far too embarrassing for it to come out how 
very poor the security is, that there was the magical equivalent of 
a firefight going on in the Department of Mysteries, of all places,  
AND that it included students who flew from Hogwarts to London on 
Thestrals!  

Since Bellatrix is supposed to be in prison, she certainly wouldn't 
qualify to claim 12 Grimmauld Place, which would leave Narcissa, and 
you have to wonder why she wouldn't have done this already, since 
Sirius was serving a life term in Azkaban before his escape.  Maybe 
she will try to claim it now, you never know.  With her husband 
going to prison, will the existing Malfoy fortune keep her in the 
style to which she was accustomed?  Or will she end up out of Malfoy 
Mansion on her ear and forced to fall back on a Black legacy?

--Barb