The Burrow: Ministry of Magic Election
by Indiana Sunblaze
And so the world of magic collides with the world of politics! We all know Fudge is history, but who will take his place? The Poor-Harry-Needs-A-Break camp entertained the idea that the next Minster would be our very own Arthur Weasley. But JKR put that one to rest simply with a Alas no. The no part told us that the next minister would not be Mr. Weasley, but the alas part hints that the next Minister will not be sympathetic to our hero.
So who can the next Minister be, will it be someone weve met? Or perhaps someone new? Will they be neutral, friend, or foe? We are also not sure how the voting process works, or even if there is one, and who will be eligible to stand. But for the sake of this essay/thoughts/ramble we will assume its a free for all, and any person is able to present themselves as a candidate. So without further ado, presenting
Candidate 1: Mr. Lucius Malfoy
Unfortunately, the world seems to have its fair share of people like Lucius Malfoy. Ambitious and willing to do almost anything to be in a position of power, Mr. Malfoy already moves in political circles and it could be argued that he was playing Mr. Fudge like the proverbial puppet on a string. Will he come to the forefront as the Minister of Magic? Will he be able to? The end of OotP saw him locked away for the attack at the Ministry. Surely that has tarnished his reputation within the wizarding world. But he does have a lot of money, old money, and (unfortunately) that means he can hire the best defence and force the Ministry to give him a trial. Or maybe with a more powerful Voldemort behind him, he can break out of Azkaban and take over the ministry.
Needless to say, the impact is likely to be swift and harsh. We see in CoS that there is no love lost between Mr. Malfoy and Dumbledore, Malfoy may try to use his new position to remove Dumbledore from Hogwarts, leaving it vulnerable for an attack by Voldemort. Removing Dumbledore may even leave Harry vulnerable (Lucius doesnt know that Dumbledore sent Fawkes to Harry with the sorting hat in CoS).
Candidate 2: Mr. Percy Weasley
The ever ambitious Percy was a prefect, head boy, and then went on to join the Ministry of Magic. Because weve seen Percy grow up over the 5 books published so far, we find his attitude in Order of the Phoenix annoying / disturbing / scary and some of us have even tried to explain it away by saying he wasnt acting of his own free will (this theory was shot down by JKR). Let us visit the past, Percy was always the perfect (sorry couldnt resist) child. He was good, listened to others and followed the rules. He never seemed to rebel. Not even in small ways. Perhaps this is a delayed stage of development were he is rebelling against his family or perhaps he really believes he is doing the right thing.
How will he be as the Minister? Not everyone follows the rules as religiously as Percy; will he be able to accept that as Minister? Percy is actually surprisingly similar to Mr. Couch Sr. I would like to highlight a disturbing parallel. Couch Sr. sent his own son to Azkaban for being (and we now know to be fact) a death-eater. Could Percy end up in a similar position, to choose between his family and the magical justice system? How will this affect Harry and/or Hogwarts? He certainly isnt seeing eye to eye with either at the moment, but I dont believe hes now the bad guy, hes merely merged with the grey area, and well just have to wait and see what happens.
Candidate 3: Dolores Jane Umbridge
Our favourite high inquisitor was last seen running away from Hogwarts with Peeves on her tail. We all hated her (especially for that whole writing in blood thing) and were glad to see the back of her or did we? For all we know, after (hem hem) leaving Hogwarts she went back to her old job at the Ministry, which would position her well to ascend to the role of Minister. If she does become Minister then it wouldnt be too good for Hogwarts or Harry, as Im sure shell bear a grudge! She may try to finish the work she starting in OotP: replace teachers, try to bring the school under complete Ministry control, or even try to shut it down. If she does become Minister theyll be some harsh times ahead.
Candidate 4: Ms. Amelia Bones
OK, so we havent really met Ms. Bones all that much in the story so far, but when I read about her, she gives out an aura of justice and balance. Maybe she is the best person to take the job (even more than Dumbledore (see below)). There is no real indication in the books for or against, its just a feeling. If she does become Minister, shes likely to be able to keep her head, maybe even staying neutral.
Candidate 5: Professor Dumbledore
Professor Dumbledore If he were to become Minister then it would all be hunky dorey, people would hold hands and dance under a pretty rainbow shining in the sky and then well wake up! (Sorry a little British sarcasm crept in there). Lets face it, Im sure Dumbledore would be up for the job if he wasnt so stretched already. Dumbledore would have taken the Sorting Hat seriously, and will be trying to unite the houses, and therefore keep Hogwarts from falling apart, or worse, into Voldemorts hands. Added to this great responsibility is the ongoing effort to keep Harry from harming himself and/or others and struggling to tell him enough so he knows what to do, and not too much which will overwhelm him. In addition to that, he has to lead the Order (of the Phoenix). Thats a lot for one man to do! This is unfortunate as he would have made a great Minister!
Candidate 6: Mr./Ms. Unknown
And finally the unknown person who may either appear out of the blue or step out of the shadows and win the position. This may mean that we, the reader dont know what to expect, and the chances are we may not know straight away whether they are friend or foe (The Harry Potter books are filled with friends who turn out to be foes). It could be someone from within the Ministry, a teacher from Hogwarts (although I think this is unlikely), a death-eater (past, present, or future), or even the half blood prince himself (or herself)!
So there we go, Ill be the first to admit that the list isnt exhaustive. But one way or the other, whoever gets the job will have vast power over both the magical and muggle world. As a disclaimer, I would like to add that these are my thoughts on the subject and some of you may agree or disagree (good thing too, or the world would be very boring!) but I hope its been interesting and maybe even a little entertaining.