HBP: Chapter 1 - The Other Minister

I don't know my British history but I think Tony Blair was the PM in 1996. (If you don't know where I got this year go back to CoS and reread the chapter on Nick's Deathday party). Anything interesting happen in England in 1996? I apologize but I don't know by British history.

Knowing what is going to happen I found Fudge's description of Lord Voldything to the PM very interesting: "...is a man alive if he can't be killed? I don't really understand it, and Dumbledore won't explain properly - but anyway, he's certainly got a body and is walking and talking and killing so I suppose for the purpose of our disussion, yes, he's alive." (11)

Fudge refers to Sirius' death as being a murder. I interpreted it more as an accident. He also says there is going to be an inquiry. I wonder what that inquiry found out and who was in charge of doing that inquiry.

We found out that two wizards have been murdered. We can assume that Emmeline Vance was killed because she was a member of the Order . More interesting I found was the murder of Amelia Bones. What does Voldemort have against the Bones family? Fudge implies that he thinks that Voldemort finished her off himself and she put up quite a fight. Why not send a minion to do it? Why do it yourself? hmmm...

Fudge also says the dementors are breeding? Anything else breeding?

How did Kingsley Shacklebolt get the job of the secretary to the PM? Is it on the Ministry's orders or Dumbledore's orders?

The new minister of magic Rufus Scrimgeour says that the Junior Minister, Herbert Chorley, was the victim of a poorly performed Imperius Curse. Who was trying to curse him and what were they trying to make him do? Now he's just a lame duck. (hehehe)

Finally the PM asks Scrimgeour why they cant just use magic to make things better and Scrimgeour answered: "The trouble is the other side can do magic too." (18)