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Divination Two: Malfoy & Scrimgeour

‘I’ve just come from Azkaban,’ Fudge had panted … ‘Middle of the North Sea, you know, nasty flight…’ (HBP1)

Into the Pensieve: It is the evening of Dumbledore’s funeral and the weather is stormy as a small delegation flies over the North Sea on broomsticks towards the Azkaban fortress. They are led by the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour and include Dolores Umbridge, the Auror Dawlish and possibly Cornelius Fudge and Percy Weasley. As they descend, we gain our first glimpse of the wizard prison, which is currently housing the Death Eaters captured in the battle of the Department of Mysteries: Avery, Crabbe, Dolohov, Jugson, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Macnair, Mulciber, Rookwood and their leader, Lucius Malfoy. (Presumably also the Death Eaters captured in the attack on Hogwarts: the brutal-faced Death Eater and Fenrir Greyback). After landing on the island, the Minister of Magic warns his entourage that their mission, in the guise of a routine inspection, is in fact highly secret. Following Dumbledore’s death and having failed to recruit Harry Potter to his phoney war against Voldemort, Scrimgeour has had an abrupt change of heart. The Machiavellian politician has decided on secret talks with Malfoy senior, the respectable face of Voldemort’s organisation, in a bid to bring about a settlement, which would allow him to remain in power. Sitting in his cell, Lucius Malfoy also claims to be in favour of a negotiated peace, which he insists must be on the Death Eaters’ terms. Malfoy tells Scrimgeour that he could have a deal if he consents to release the prisoners, reinstate the pureblood agenda and remove the Muggle Protection Act, but for this to happen Scrimgeour must first move against the illegal organisation calling itself the Order of the Phoenix. Scrimgeour warns however that it will be difficult to reconcile the wizarding world to these developments and he must proceed slowly and with care.

Omens & Portents: Canonical Clues & Questions

1. Concerning Lucius…

• ‘Ah, poor Lucius… what with Voldemort’s fury about the fact that he threw away the Horcrux for his own gain, and the fiasco at the Ministry last year, I would not be surprised if he is secretly glad to be safe in Azkaban at the moment.’ (HBP23) Will Lucius Malfoy play a significant part in the action of Book 7? How can he do this if he is currently entombed in Azkaban?

• ‘This is vengeance for Lucius’s mistake, I know it!’ (HBP2) Will Voldemort consider that Draco (by smuggling Death Eaters into Hogwarts and luring Dumbledore back to the school so Snape could finish him off) has sufficiently repaid his father’s debts? He forgave Wormtail twelve years as a rat; can he forgive Malfoy?

2. Concerning Azkaban…

• Will the reader finally see inside the Azkaban fortress in Book 7? Under what circumstances?

• How is the prison being guarded now that the Dementors have defected to join Voldemort?

3. Concerning Scrimgeour & the Ministry of Magic…

• ‘Such loyalty is admirable, of course,’ said Scrimgeour, who seemed to be restraining his irritation with difficulty, ‘but Dumbledore is gone, Harry. He’s gone.’ ‘He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him,’ said Harry, smiling in spite of himself. ‘My dear boy … even Dumbledore cannot return from the –‘ ‘I am not saying he can. You wouldn’t understand. But I’ve got nothing to tell you.’ (HBP30) Was Rufus Scrimgeour giving Harry one last chance to co-operate with the Ministry, at Dumbledore’s Funeral? What is Scrimgeour’s Plan B?

• ‘Is he … do you think he’s good?’ asked Harry. ‘An interesting question,’ said Dumbledore. ‘He is able, certainly. A more decisive and forceful personality than Cornelius.’ ‘Yes, but I meant – ’ ‘I know what you meant. Rufus is a man of action and, having fought Dark wizards for most of his working life, does not underestimate Lord Voldemort.’ (HBP4) How Machiavellian is this latest Minister? Should we be worried about his internment of the innocent Stan Shunpike? Might Scrimgeour actually prove more dangerous than either Crouch or Fudge?

• ‘He has even attempted to have me followed. Amusing, really. He set Dawlish to tail me. It wasn’t kind.’ (HBP17) Why was the new Minister so suspicious of Dumbledore in Book 6? What might this mean for the future of the Order?

• ‘The Brockdale bridge – he did it, Prime Minister, he threatened a mass Muggle killing unless I stood aside for him and –’ (HBP1) What will happen to the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards now that Dumbledore is no more? Will Voldemort make another offer?

• ‘Dolores Umbridge has told me that you cherish an ambition to become an Auror.’ (HBP16) Why is Umbridge still working at the Ministry? How much influence does she have? Was she portrayed as an Appeaser and/or a Voldemort-sympathiser in Book 5? ‘She’s foul enough to be one,’ said Harry darkly, and Ron and Hermione nodded vigorously in agreement.’ (OOtP14) How close are her ties with the Malfoys? ‘Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you!’ (OOtP32)

• ‘It was you?’ gasped Harry. ‘You sent the Dementors after me?’ (OOtP32) Should we look at the Umbridge regime at Hogwarts in Book 5 for clues as to what might happen to the whole wizarding world?

• Cornelius Fudge walked past them towards the front rows, his expression miserable, twirling his green bowler hat as usual … (HBP30) Was Fudge – formerly a friend – more affected by Dumbledore’s death than Scrimgeour? What does he make of his successor?

Legilimency… what is JKR thinking?

‘Let’s go again … on the count of three … one – two – three – Legilimens!’ (OOtP24)

• Umbridge is “alive and well and working at the Ministry.” She did not get arrested because her Ministry contacts are so good. “She is one of those people, and they do exist in real life, who will always side with the established order.” “She likes power.” [JKR, ITV, 2005 - Madam Scoop’s Index]

• JKR: “What’s very important for me is when Dumbledore says that you have to choose between what is right and what is easy. This is the set-up for the next three books. All of them are going to have to choose, because what is easy is often not right.” [JKR, Entertainment Weekly, 2000 – Madam Scoop’s Index]

• Editor Arthur Levine says … the overall arc of the series is that the “world is getting more pernicious.” [Arthur Levine, quote from report on BookExpo America, 2005 - Madam Scoop’s Index]

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