Kingsley Shacklebolt

[OliveOil_Med]

I'd think his forties would be a good guess as well. I know in the United States, you have to be at least in your forties to run for president, so I don't think the Minister of Magic could be too young.

As for not being in the Order the first time, it was, after, a secret organization. It could have been that he didn't even know about it. It does seem like a bit of a Gryffindors club. If he wasn't in Gryffindor and didn't have many friends that were, it becomes even more possible. I always did see Kingsley as being a Ravenclaw in my mind. Or maybe he didn't even go to Hogwarts. Even less connections to the organization.

[Tim the Enchanter]

I'd think his forties would be a good guess as well. I know in the United States, you have to be at least in your forties to run for president, so I don't think the Minister of Magic could be too young.

But Britain is not the United States. Though I am not sure if there has been a minimum age requirement adopted in recent years, the youngest British Prime Minister was William Pitt the Younger, who became PM at the age of 24. As far as I am aware, there is no formal age requirement, and I expect the Ministry of Magic to work similarly.

But back to Kingsley's age, I do agree that his forties would be a good guess.

As for not being in the Order the first time, it was, after, a secret organization. It could have been that he didn't even know about it. It does seem like a bit of a Gryffindors club. If he wasn't in Gryffindor and didn't have many friends that were, it becomes even more possible. I always did see Kingsley as being a Ravenclaw in my mind. Or maybe he didn't even go to Hogwarts. Even less connections to the organization.

I don't see NOT going to Hogwarts as being very likely. There is very little mention of children who don't go to Hogwarts and are instead educated by their parents, so I expect them to be a rare bunch. So assuming he went to Hogwarts, I believe he was probably Ravenclaw - he's certainly clever enough.

Tim the Enchanter

[Karaley Dargen]

I understood that what OliveOil_Med meant was that he went to a different school, like Beauxbatons or something.
Anyway - he was an Auror (I know that there were Aurors in the Order too) so maybe he was involved in some sort of Ministry Special Task Force - or he was in some other secret organization? Noone ever said that the Order actually was the only one, maybe the others just didn't act openly, or maybe it's because they don't exist anymore in the second war.

Or you could think of the Weasleys. Maybe Shacklebolt had a sick mother/relative/whatever he had to take care of, and he needed his job at the Ministry badly.

[Mary-Greenman]

Hello, I'm sure this wasn't posted yet, but if it was, feel free to delete it, mods! I tend to miss things, especially in the way of thread topics.

At any rate, I'm writing a fic where, while he isn't the main character, there are several chapters, he is featured. I remember him vaguely, and I used the HP-lexicon for help, but I was wondering what you suppose he would be like in regards to werewolf policies.

What do you think he values most? What sort of relationship would he have with Harry, who, according to JKR and Lexicon, he made Head Auror. I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to get a few ideas of what readers would expect. What kind of boss do you think he is? Do you think he is fair? Does he show favortisim or anything like that? Do you think that, after the defeat of Voldemort, he and Arthur would get along better in public?

I should add that this fic takes place after the series; obviously, with the whole work-relationship thing.

[Sapphire at Dawn]

With werewolves, it is quite possible that before he met Remus and became involved in the Order he was prejudice. Most wizards are, we learn from Remus in DH and from Ron's reaction in PoA. Afterwards he probably became more accepting because he knew Remus. Towards the policies it depends on what the policies are, and whether you're setting your fic before or after OoTP. He may not have thought about the legislation before as he was primarily an Auror, but he could have done. Since we know nothing about this you can make up whatever you want, but I do think he'd have wanted more equality and better opportunities for werewolves when he became Minister.

What do you think he values most?

It depends what you mean. If you mean in his personal life, I think you have a free reign. In terms of government, however, I think he would value justice and the iradication of the Death Eaters pretty highly.

He would be fair, but I imagine him to be firm. People like Lucius Malfoy or Dolores Umbridge wouldn't be able to worm their way out of punishment with him. I think that being an Auror, he wouldn't be influenced by these people and probably see through their ruses. I imagine him to let off someone like Stan Shuntpike, for example, and be leniant in that manner. He wouldn't show favouritism or give anyone preferential (probably not spelled right...) treatment.

I hope that sort of helps. I would add more but I have to dash.

Sarah x

[wilted_orchid]

What sort of relationship would he have with Harry, who, according to JKR and Lexicon, he made Head Auror. I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to get a few ideas of what readers would expect. What kind of boss do you think he is? Do you think he is fair? Does he show favortisim or anything like that? Do you think that, after the defeat of Voldemort, he and Arthur would get along better in public?

My sentiments on the Werewolf and Values questions seem to have been conveyed perfectly already by Sapphire at Dawn, so I thought I'd go for this little bundle of questions and see if I can help any.


What sort of relationship would he have with Harry?

I think that by the time he becomes Head Auror Kingsley knows what an asset Harry is as a personal friend, and while he would be aware of how he could use this to his own advantage within the media, etc. I don't think he would; he would respect Harry too much to abuse his friendship in this way. I believe that while Kingsley would respect Harry for all his hard work and efforts, he would also recognise him to be a young man now free from the constraints placed upon him as a baby. As a reader, I often find it frustrating when people say Harry became like Deputy Head Auror or whatever, because a level-headed man like Kingsley would never do something like this.

What kind of boss do you think he is? Do you think he is fair? Does he show favortisim or anything like that?

I highly doubt that after his efforts during the war he would turn dictator, but I do feel that he would led with a strong hand. That's not to say the Wizarding Community would get no say in the matter, but I feel that he would have personal beliefs which he would not separate from his policy merely for popularities sake. I think he would be a fair leader and boss, a person who would listen to and respect his staff, and someone who it would be possible to relate to unlike Fudge. I think it would be very OOC for Kingsley to should favouritism, but I think with him it would very much be a case of earning respect, so those who had acted cowardly during the war (Dung Fletcher) would not stand in such high stead with him as those who fought valiantly (Arthur Weasley) until they showed their worth.

Do you think that, after the defeat of Voldemort, he and Arthur would get along better in public?

Absolutely. There's no reason why not any longer, and the Weasleys in my mind would be a highly respected family by that stage considering they all fought valiantly and Molly Weasley took down Bellatrix Lestrange herself.

Hope there's something useful in there!

Shan
x

[Mary-Greenman]

Thanks! You guys are a lot of help. I was afraid this site might be dead, like most of the others I stumble upon. It makes me sad, sometimes. Of course, while it's not the most active thread I've seen, it's still alive! That makes me utterly happy!

Anyway, I thought about making him yet another corrupt minister, but then I went through my books and double checked to make sure I wasn't utterly destroying his character. I think it'll add some great conflict to the story though, and definably bring in some awesome tension between Harry and Hermione, especially with the werewolf policies.

[TheCursedQuill]

Anyway, I thought about making him yet another corrupt minister, but then I went through my books and double checked to make sure I wasn't utterly destroying his character.

I really can't see Shacklebolt as a corrupt minister, not in the least. As Sarah and Shan have both stated, he'd be a strong leader and not one to give into another simple because it's what the public wants. And I really don't think he'd do anything that could potentially harm the wizarding community for his own sake.

Like the others have said, I think Shacklebolt would be a fair minister and would not play favouritism. His relationship with harry would strengthen after the war, I think, and they'd probably become really good friends.

I really don't have much else to say that the other twos didn't say, but I just wanted to express the fact that it would be very OOC for him to turn corrupt.

[Mary-Greenman]

Anyway, I thought about making him yet another corrupt minister, but then I went through my books and double checked to make sure I wasn't utterly destroying his character.

I really can't see Shacklebolt as a corrupt minister, not in the least. As Sarah and Shan have both stated, he'd be a strong leader and not one to give into another simple because it's what the public wants. And I really don't think he'd do anything that could potentially harm the wizarding community for his own sake.

I agreed, lookiing on his character profile and reading through his scenes in the books. I think I didn't make it clear that he isn't going to be a currupt minister, so it'll be more of a conflict, concerning laws and stuff because he isn't a bad person, I actually wrote a couple scenes with him, and I hope I portrayed him right, but we'll see.

[Sapphire at Dawn]

It would be OOC of him to become corrupt, but there could be ways in which you could make him become unpopular with the wizarding community. You'd have to think very carefully about his character, though, and would need to be well thought out and developed over a lengthy period of time. In the beginning, he was only temporary Minister for Magic, but he became the official one. That's not going to happen if he's not doing a good job after the war and doesn't have public support. The problems, if you want to create them, are going to have to happen several years after that.

Kingsley was an Auror, and this, I think, could be the key for what you want to do. He's spent a long time fighting and being perhaps heavey handed, and while this approach may be great just after the way, it may cause problems once Voldemort's influence has gone, sort of like how Churchill went downhill after the war (this is from what I've gathered, I'm not strong on politics so I could be wrong). That's the only way I could see him not really being all that popular, but you'd have to be very careful about how you'd do it.

Sarah x