[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re:That pesky letter again! Was:Re: Of human errors

[Sue Wartell]

From: "Mhochberg at aol.com" 

~~~~

This brings up a pet peeve of mine, not just from HP  but from other books 

and movies also. When Sirius is sent to Azakaban, why  doesn't ANYONE (Lupin,

Dumbledore, anyone in the Order) contact him to get his  side of the story?

 

Let's see, I know, the all-knowing, all-wise, never  erring, MOM got it right 

when they sent him there without a trial.  



Sarcasm aside, this is a plot device that I do not  understand. Any insight 

would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

---Mary


I'm not at all sure my explanation will convince you, but here goes...

Sirius was "obviously" guilty, not only to the MOM, but also to the Order and the wider wizarding world.  He is from a very dark-wizard background.  His brother was a known deatheater.  His parents were pure-blood bigots.  He was always in trouble, always causing trouble, always living on the edge.  He was arrogant, and thought he was better than everyone else; rules didn't apply to him.  There was a lot of hysteria, even after the night that Harry survived the first attack.  One of the older characters says "You don't understand what it was like.  Everyone was afraid."  And frightened people are generally easy to fool - they want a simple answer, even if the question is quite complex.  (My own observations of the world suggest to me that the more complex the situation, the more there is a craving for simple answers.)  There were witnesses - many witnesses, and all agreed on what they saw - Sirius killed Peter and blasted another 13 people to death in
 the process.  The Order knew there was a traitor in their midst.  They were sure that Sirius had been the Secret Keeper.  Even if they couldn't explain how he could have betrayed his best friend, neither could they explain away all the evidence.  He was the only one who could have given the Potter's location away.  He had killed a lot of people then laughed.  He was clearly mad.  Why look any deeper?  Lupin says that he had suspected Sirius might be the traitor; Sirius says that he suspected Lupin.  They might have been suspicious of Peter, but he had died bravely (the remaining members of the Order thought), confronting the traitor.  Sirius knew better, but no one else knew that James had changed the secret keeper.  And even if Sirius had been able to shout his story from the rooftops, who would have believed him.  Lupin was willing to listen only because he had evidence that Peter was NOT dead.  Dumbledore is not infallible, as he is quick to admit.

Basically, I guess I don't find it improbable.  Reprehensible, but not improbable.  In a war, civil liberties are often among the casualties.  Imprisonment without a trial...  Ask Japanese-Americans from the 1940's.



Sue

 








       
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