Nagini's attack on Arthur in OotP

[terri-testing.livejournal.com]

We know that Arthur was an Order member, guarding the door to the DoM (and asleep on the job under an invisibility cloak which didn't hide him from a creature that hunted by heat and scent), when Voldemort's snake attacked him.

What did the Ministry think, and the average Prophet reader?


If Fudge had realized Arthur was there on Dumbledore's orders, surely he'd have sacked him?

In fact, why wasn't Arthur sacked anyway? What business had he to be in the Ministry at all in the middle of the night? Much less loitering suspiciously outside the DoM with an invisibility cloak?

And just what kind of security does the Ministry have, that Order members, Voldemort's slaves and pets, and schoolkids, can come and go after hours as they please? I've never worked anywhere that didn't lock up when everyone left.

In fact, aren't the Aurors based in the building? Shouldn't they have a night shift (what, Dark wizards never operate at night, you tell me?), and therefore a night shift on reception to check people in who have business there?

Finally, if Fudge didn't think the snake was Tom's pet, whose did he think it was and how did he think it got in and escaped?

Thoughts?

Comments

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Eek! No thoughts at all, except: Good heavens! You're right, Terri. It makes no sense at all that Order members can come and go as they please, never mind pets and schoolchildren. Unless, as some have surmised, Fudge was very firmly under Dumbledore's control, and Arthur and the other guards were there with his permission?

But even that wouldn't explain (to Fudge) how and why both Arthur and Bode were attacked, would it? After all, if Voldemort is well and truly dead, he cannot be sending either pet snakes or spies wielding the Imperius to attack the Order's agents.

And the security at the Ministry is laughable.