acciofirebolt29
This is mainly for those who are new to the DC voting system. Before I post the next spells I just wanted to remind everyone that votes, you are to base your vote choice on the presentation of the spells. Please put any preconceived notions or idea that you have about the subject away and vote based ONLY on the information presented.


Mundungus Fletcher is Not on the side of the order.

Unlike Molly Weasley, I like Mundungus Fletcher, in fact he’s one of my favorite characters, and in making one thing clear, I don’t believe that he is in any way a malicious or evil person, so I am certain that he is not a Death-Eater. And he is a fully-fledged, founding member of the Order of the Phoenix. Yet, I intend to show you, through a series of intelligent and articulate arguments that he is NOT on the side of the order.
Primarily, no one can deny that Dung’s commitment to the order is lackadaisical at best. He uses Grimmauld Place as a place to stash goods, which although they may not have been stolen, definitely haven’t been paid for. He falls asleep at important meetings, comes and goes as it suits him, forging dodgy “business” relationships along the way. He doesn’t take the whole thing very seriously. He also leaves Harry alone just before a Dementor attack, more on the later.

For now, allow me to ask you all to ask yourselves what crucial scene, although easily overlooked, truly shows where Fletcher’s loyalties lie? It is the dinner party celebrating Ron and Hermione’s prefecture. Here, we see how he deeply mistrusts the other Order members, and Harry to boot. While trying to rip the twins off over a handful of Venomous Tentacula seeds;

“Mundungus stopped talking when he saw Harry” (OotP p. 155)

And when Harry mentions that Moody could have his eye on them

“Mundungus looked nervously over his shoulder” (OotP p. 155)

Why would Mundungus worry so much about his Order members turning him in? Because he doesn’t trust them, and that implies that he feels that their priorities are different to his own. And that would imply that his priorities are different to theirs. And that would imply that he is not on the side of the Order.

So whose side is he on?

He’s no Death-Eater; he’s not on the side of the Order. His disappearance before the Dementor attack would suggest that he is on the side of the Ministry, but that doesn’t sound right, does it? Mundungus is a rogue, a scoundrel, a chancer, and a cowboy. He is on nobody’s side but his own. He is in the Order for one reason. If Voldemort is a threat to the wizarding community, it will be a community that is alert, on its guard, ever watchful of a terrible presence moving amongst them. And in such an environment, Mundungus will find it much more difficult to swindle, con and steal his way through life. As a member of the Order, he an know how the wizarding community at large are maintaining their vigilance, and, yes helping to rid his uneasy allies of a common enemy. But Mundungus is in the Order for entirely selfish reason, he will never put his life on the line for the Order. Mundungus Fletcher is on one side. The side of Mundungus Fletcher.


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Mundungus Fletcher IS on the side of the Order!

Mundungus Fletcher, a greasy little guy we have all come to know (and love?). Described as “a squat, unshaven man in a tattered overcoat… he (has) short bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair and bloodshot baggy eves that (give) him the doleful look of a basset hound.” The perfect picture of a crook. In fact, that’s exactly what dear Dung is: a crafty crook. He has been known to try anything to get ahead in life. At the World Quidditch Cup he tried to get compensation for “a twelve-bed roomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi” when he was spotted camped out under a cloak. Mr. Fletcher has been in many places that have connected him to questionable circumstances. Mr. Weasley’s raids in CoS for instance: Mr. Fletcher was there trying to hex ministry officials at a place where many muggle-baiting items were found, not to mention a few questionable ferrets.

You must ask yourself why this man of questionable character is part of the Order of the Phoenix. It is simple really: every well-rounded group needs variety. If the Order were composed of wizards with similar abilities and means of getting information, they would not be able to get all of the information that they need. The Order needs a crook on their side. Mundungus Fletcher can get the information that an invisible little crook can get. Mundungus “knows all the crooks – well, he would seeing as he’s one himself…It pays to have someone like Dung around, he hears things we don’t.”(Sirius Black, OotP, ch 5) It’s amazing what you can learn in a room you’re not supposed to be in, and every small bit can help the Order.

So, what keeps Mundungus Fletcher’s loyalty firmly with the Order? The exact same thing that keeps Wormtail with Voldemort; the people in the order are just as powerful. Think about the people we have in the Order, Albus Dumbledore, to name a very notable name. All of the people may not be widely appreciated, but they are the people who see what’s happening around them and have the ability to think straight and help events along to a conclusion that the world can live with. And for some reason, Mundungus was in the original Order. Apparently Dumbledore “helped him out of a tight spot once.” With the type of things that dear Dung can get involved with, that tight spot could quite possibly be one of those things that you can’t forget. And for many people, no matter how untrustworthy they are loyalty is something that you can earn in an instant that will last a lifetime.
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Belorin
Okay, lets try this again!!!
As I was saying before the power went out here at work, this was a refreshingly straightforward Duel, no and/or questions just for or against.
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athenamay3410
I'm inclined to agree with Belorin!! Great duels! I'm going to have to definitely sit on this one for a bit. Good job once again!
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acciofirebolt29
Wingardium Leviosa

Just a reminder to those who haven’t voted on this duel...it closes Saturday so get your votes in!!!!!
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Cat_on_my_head
There aren't very many votes on this one. Where is everybody?
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Eeylops
I finally voted. Sorry I was late!

As Belorin said, a refreshingly straight forward duel. It was kinda interesting, as both duelers used similar character points to argue different cases.

Props to both duelers as usual, but one side just clinched it for me.
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Skivin'Ivy
I think I've just made the vote in time - my cognitive abilities are simply not able to cope with the idea that it may be a different time, maybe even a different day, somewhere else . . .

Thankfully it was a crisp, clear, spring-shower of a debate this time (some have been torrential downpours that take ages to come to grips with!). Thanks to both Duelers - you've both done a great job.
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acciofirebolt29
Well another week another Duel closes. I am really interested to hear what folks have to say about this one so feel free to speak your mind!!!

Points need to be given and they are as follows....

Godric O' Donovan Dueling for Malfoys Menaces did not pull of enough votes to receive any point!! I think it was an excellent spell and he really surprised me at the angle he took the subject I gave!! GREAT JOB!!!

Ms Beater, Dueling for Flitwicks Fantastics receives 50 points!! Again, another excellent spell!! Good job bringing it home for your team!!!

Don’t forget to check the Scores, teams, accolades thread for score updates!!!
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MsBeater
WOW!!! I won?? Gee, do you know how many of my former English teachers would kill me for that??

So, I want one thing from you guys... I've probably heard all the criticism about what my writing needs from many people (both constructively and destructively). But I'm open to any that you have. So what I was wondering if someone could do is give me a happy thought to get through those tedious English classes. For some reason, the thought that I only have to write for this teacher doesn’t do it for me. I think I have been forever scarred by my English teacher my sophomore and junior years in high school (I admit, I have never since gotten on well with my English teachers). I swear that woman had a red pen surgically attached to her hand. She gave us a template that everything had to fit into, and then, she’d cover your paper in red ink if it wasn’t exact. And as the time went on, you would find the entire class clustered around the door before class instead of sitting inside waiting for class to begin, those were the days that she gave us an hour to complete a perfect essay. And she sat at her desk, red pen ready, reminding us not to talk and that we only had ten minutes left. I remember her saying that once you got the rules down you could break them, but she never really helped us get the rules down to her standards. That was the class with the top twenty students of my year in it, and none of us got very far.
I’ve since then not like any English class, no matter how much I tried to just get through it. I don’t know, maybe I’m asking for the impossible.

If you need me, I’ll be sitting over in the corner wondering how I won.
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Cat_on_my_head
Great job to both duelers. To be honest, I am surprised that the final tally wasn't closer. I went back and forth for a long time before deciding on this one.
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Skivin'Ivy
Great job both duelers. Like Cat I went back and forwards on this one . . . to the point that I nearly missed the cut-off. In the end I was in the minority - while Ms Beater's spell was excellent - well put together with good examples - I voted for Godric's spell, which I felt tackled the tricky topic in a creative and convincing (well, at least to me) way.

And a happy thought for MsBeater: ummmm, English classes can be a joy when you have an inspiring teacher and more tortuous than Umbridge's classes when you have a bore. You obviously have wonderful communication skills, so the only reason you need this teacher is so that she can guide you to sources that you can assess and learn from yourself. Try to see thru her petty corrections and look to the one bit of her critique that can help you improve the way you develop your understanding of the texts you study. It's very hard I know, but don't ever give a bad teacher the power to ruin something that will give you joy for the rest of your life. It is clearly a talent you already have - if your teacher won't nurture it, then you'll have to do a Harry - and do it yourself!!
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GodricO'Donovan
Fair play to Ms. Beater, a great spell there.
And there are times when you should never listen to your English teacher. It's called school time.

I took a strange enough angle, I could never convince myself that Dung is a DE, and therefore have no chance of convincing others, so I took the only route I could think of.
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Black32
I must say Godric, that, in my opinion, it seemed that you couldn't convince yourself of it. The argument just didn't seem very convincing to me. I'm sorry to be so blunt, and that's just my opinion, so you can ignore it completely as some people I know do.
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acciofirebolt29
Black32, everyone opinions are valid here!! That is the point!!

Who knows your observation may help Godric (or anyone else here for that matter) on the next Duel!!
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MsBeater
I like that thought Skivin'Ivy, now, how to make it into a mantra to mumble to myself.

And personally, I liked Godric's angle. More proof that the world isn't black and white.
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acciofirebolt29
Hmmm sounds like something Sirius (I believe) says in OotP!!!
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GodricO'Donovan
My biggest problem was that I have a huge crack across the monitor of my laptop and couldn't see what I was writing very clearly. Hooked up to en External Monitor now, though.
And Black32, I love blunt.
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Black32
Ouch, your poor laptop!

MsBeater, you might try "Ignore her/him like Umbridge." or "Love her/him like McGonagall" or some other teacher that you like.
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MsBeater
Oh, that may turn into something along the lines of "Die, Umbridge, Die"