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

[oryx_leucoryx]

Of the Order, who participated in 'Prophecy Watch'?

During the summer, I'd say the list was: Moody, Kingsley, Remus, Tonks, Arthur, Bill, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, Minerva and Mundungus. (Hagrid was out of the country, Severus had to be available to Tom, Sirius was locked up at 12GP, Molly was supervising 12GP, Arabella was stationed in Little Whinging, and it is canon that Moody never saw Aberforth since July 1981 so I don't see how he could have been involved.) 13 people. Of these at least 3 were Ministry employees and Elphias had some kind of Ministry ties.

Once school started Minerva was taken off the rota but Molly took her place. Sturgis was arrested, leaving only 12 people. (Can anyone make an argument that any more people were on the watch list?)

Perhaps the shifts were arranged such that the night shift was given to someone who had a legitimate reason to be at the Ministry in the evening - claiming to be working late. (And if Arthur was spending every third night on watch while still holding a day job no wonder he fell asleep on his watch).

Nagini entered the Ministry not simply as herself but while possessed by Tom. I'm sure he could mind-control any Auror that may have been in his way. As for the kids - the DEs were waiting for them (OK, for Harry) - the 12 of them may have overcome any security that may have been there and thus also cleared the way for the kids.

[oryx_leucoryx]

As for the night Arthur was attacked - it was important to Albus that he be found *by the right people* so perhaps even if Fudge was no longer under his thumb he still had enough support that he could find those who would cover up the exact location where Arthur was found and the presence of invisibility cloak.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the shifts were arranged such that the night shift was given to someone who had a legitimate reason to be at the Ministry in the evening

But in that case, what about the day shift? If it existed, how would they explain it, and if it didn't... well, I guess the list drops to current Ministry employees, which isn't much of a problem. But if no one's guarding it in the daytime, what's stopping Voldemort Polyjuicing into, say, Lucius (assuming he still counts as sufficiently human) and walking right in?

[oryx_leucoryx]

The Order was supposedly there on day shift hidden under invisibility cloaks. That's how supposedly Lucius managed to Imperiurize Sturgis. Plenty of reasons to enter the Ministry during the day

[oryx_leucoryx]

Changed my mind a bit. I think whoever was on watch for day shift entered the building under the invisibility cloak while accompanying someone with legitimate reason to be there.

Now I'm wondering about Apparition to/within the Ministry. But I'll need to reread the relevant parts of OOTP.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Voldemort appears "in the middle of the hall" and Side-Along-Disapparates with Bella, so yes, it is possible (though the arrival of Ministry staff shortly afterwards suggests there may be some sort of alarm set off by teleporting in - though Flooing in or just walking in is apparently fine).

[for-diddled.livejournal.com]

It's odd, though -- Hogwarts is protected by anti-apparition wards, you'd have thought that the centre of wizarding government would have at least the same amount of protection.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Maybe there sometimes is a *need* for people to Apparate in/out of the Ministry, so instead of blocking it they have it available but also have an alarm system.

Doesn't Arthur say he normally Apparates to work? And not just to the vicinity of the Ministry but directly inside, he isn't very familiar with the phone-booth entrance.

So how did the Order members arrive at the Ministry for the battle without triggering alarms? Did they Apparate to outside the building, enter by phone booth and Apparate to the DOM? Or do Kingsley and Tonks have a way of circumventing the alarms?

[condwiramurs.livejournal.com]

Probably Dumbledore hasn't shared the spells with them. /cynicism