Kingsley Shacklebolt

[Karaley Dargen]

Personally, I think the best way to make Kingsley unpopular without the risk of making him act out of character would be to take his efficiency and enhance it. Kingsley doesn't appear to be a people-pleaser like Fudge. If he thought a reform was necessary, he would push it through, even if the public didn't want it. This could be, for example, a change in the tax system. Maybe wealthy wizarding families have to pay more under Kingsley, and they dislike that, and start a sort of propaganda against him.

[Mary-Greenman]

What about werewolf law changes? My fic concerns a lot of political debates centering around the werewolf problem. I don't think he'd be unreasonable about it in the way that Fudge would, but I was thinking that he'd work to keep it so that they were safe which would involve a lot of loopholes, but especially rights that the Pure Bloods wouldn't appreciate. I don't know what kind of side he'd take with it. In the fic, I have him torn between keeping his people and the muggle population safe, while also bearing in mind that werewolves are also people.

[Sapphire at Dawn]

With werewolves, I don't think Kingsley would just rush in to it; he's a clever guy and he's want the best for werewolves, which means targeting peoples attitudes to them as well as anti-legislation. He wouldn't just rush in and change all the laws regarding werewolves, he'd do it subtly and carefully because it's not worth changing everything if people are still going to be prejudiced. And it's not just pure-bloods that have things against werewolves, it's nearly all of the wizarding community.

There may be disagreement at first when people realise what Kingsley is up to, and people may not like it, but I don't think that he'd be thrown out of office for it. Giving werewolves their freedom isn't going to take priority over rounding up the Death Eaters and sorting out the mess that Voldemort left. He may change the law and make it easier for them to get jobs as a temporary measure, but the real changes and stuff isn't going to come until a few years after. By then, Kinglsey will have built up a reputation and be trusted by the people so it'll take a lot to turn them against him again.

Sarah x

[TM_WandStick]

Okay, I have couple questons about Kingsley here. First off:

What kind of person do you think he would be attracted to?

Romantically, I mean. Someone strong and confident? Someone quiet and reserved, or even shy? Or put it this way:

What traits do you think Kingsley would value/look for in a prospective--er--mate?

Also,

When/why do you think Kingsley got his ear peirced?

He doesn't strike me as one to want to make a fashion statement.

I have some of my own ideas, but I want to see what everyone else thinks!

[Equinox Chick]

What traits do you think Kingsley would value/look for in a prospective--er--mate?
I think he'd value intelligence, but not necessarily intellectualism. He is very much his own person and strong in his personna, so whilst I think he'd like to feel as if he's protecting someone, he's not going to put up with a clinging limpet in the long term. Equally, I can't see him wanting to be with someone who argues all the time. I don't think he'd necessarily argue back, but just get fed up and not answer. Interestingly, I once read a fic where he was getting together with Rita Skeeter ... I also like him with Andromeda, who would certainly meet an integrity criteria.

When/why do you think Kingsley got his ear peirced?

One of the problems I had with Kingsley was why he wasn't in the Order the first time around. He's clearly a strong character, not too young (like Tonks) and not a family man (like Arthur). I have him aged a few years older than the Marauders - Ted Tonks age, perhaps. In my fic, Apparently Asleep, I made him an Auror who had worked abroad. He wasn't part of the Order because he wasn't there, but he was still aware of its existence. Therefore, perhaps he had his ear pierced when he was abroad/working undercover.
Alternatively, perhaps he had it pierced when he was young and he likes it. It certainly adds to the contrasts about the man.

~Carole~

[Alex]

I know I'm dragging up an old thread here, but I've been reading the discussion of Kingsley's House with interest - and I'm wondering if I'm the only person who considers him a Slytherin?

Yes, he's brave, and certainly intelligent - but he's also very cunning (modifying Marietta's memory, for example, is a sly move). Although he isn't outrightly ambitious, he does end up Minister for Magic... Also, his relationship with Arthur Weasley (at least in the office) is somewhat cold - I think it would be reasonable to assume this is how it was before the two began to work together within the Order, and that this distance could be interpreted as ambitiousness. Of course, it might just be that the two had no reason to work together, but even ignoring that, he has certainly managed to ingratiate himself with the right people: Fudge, Umbridge and Scrimgeour clearly have a good working relationship with him - he's clearly trusted and respected, and one could certainly argue he's "going places" prior to the Death Eater take-over (what with being chosen for important jobs such as guarding the Muggle Prime Minister).

I don't know, I've just always seen him as a Slytherin. He's what a Slytherin without a strong Pureblood inclination could be. Is that just me though?

[Essence_of_Lily]

Yes, he's brave, and certainly intelligent - but he's also very cunning (modifying Marietta's memory, for example, is a sly move). Although he isn't outrightly ambitious, he does end up Minister for Magic... Also, his relationship with Arthur Weasley (at least in the office) is somewhat cold - I think it would be reasonable to assume this is how it was before the two began to work together within the Order, and that this distance could be interpreted as ambitiousness. Of course, it might just be that the two had no reason to work together, but even ignoring that, he has certainly managed to ingratiate himself with the right people: Fudge, Umbridge and Scrimgeour clearly have a good working relationship with him - he's clearly trusted and respected, and one could certainly argue he's "going places" prior to the Death Eater take-over (what with being chosen for important jobs such as guarding the Muggle Prime Minister).

I don't know, I've just always seen him as a Slytherin. He's what a Slytherin without a strong Pureblood inclination could be. Is that just me though?

I see him as a Ravenclaw, somehow. He's pretty smart and efficient. I don't know about witty, but maybe he was like that younger.