The Prime Minister: Do you imagine Tony Blair here?
I don't, but for some reason I feel like I should. I have rather a lot of sympathy with the poor man (the fictional one, that is). He gets blamed for everything, and when he finally finds out the reason why everything is going wrong, he can't tell anyone about it.

I do like the idea of Shacklebolt as a secretary. It makes me giggle.

Scrimgeour. I expected him, from this first scene, to be a good guy. He looks like a lion. I remember that description was one of the secret things you could find at Rowling's homepage just before the book came out, and I was convinced it had something to do with Godric Gryffindor. It does something weird to make him a not-so-good guy.

Fudge. Poor Fudge. He is a broken man. I liked the snapshots of his last few years in office, seen from an outsider.

The poor fox.

Bellatrix. It is interesting that she contemplates the idea that Voldemort could be wrong. It is not a good scene for her. She comes out looking like a hysterical idiot. I realise, of course, that it is supposed to cover all the bases, to make it impossible to ask "how can Voldemort believe Snape is on his side" (or even "how can Snape be evil"), but it does not come out well for her character.

Wormtail. Why is he being punished? Because he only sought Voldemort out of despair? Or is there something else that I have already forgotten?

Snape. I wonder whether his making Wormtail's life horrible is related to either his connection to the Marauders or to the knowledge that he is the other person to blame for Lily's death.

He is great in this scene, though. His ready explanations, and his only slight hesitation before taking the unbreakable vow. I cannot remember whether he at this point knows that Dumbledore is dying and what Draco is going to do, or whether he is trying to figure it out still.

Dumbledore. His way of treating the Dursleys makes me feel warm inside. The politeness which makes it clear how rude they are.

I like how he then switches to direct explanation of how bad they have been. It is refreshing. And I love the reference to the damage done to Dudley. He is right, of course.