In Defense of McGonagall

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30041

Recently and in the distant past, we've discussed McGonagall's role 
in allowing the dementor to suck out Crouch Jr.'s soul.  Some people 
are miffed at her for not preventing it.  Others say she never had a 
decent chance to prevent it.

I think it is high time to cut McGonagall a break.  Dumbledore told 
McGonagall to stand guard over Crouch Jr.  Dumbledore told Snape to 
escort Fudge into the castle, telling Snape, "Then go down into the 
grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office."  
GoF, Ch. 36.

This is how Snape describes the events in the office:

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater 
responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice, "he 
seemed to feel his personal safety was in question.  He insisted on 
summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle.  He brought it 
up to the office where Barty Crouch --"

Apparently, Fudge summoned a dementor to escort himself and Snape 
into the castle.  By Snape's own admission, Fudge did not summon the 
dementor after Fudge was already in the castle.  Snape definitely 
knows that Dumbledore does not permit dementors in the castle.  In 
PoA, Ch. 9, Dumbledore tells Snape and Percy, "I'm afraid no dementor 
will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."

Nevertheless, Snape does nothing to prevent Fudge from bringing the 
dementor, and worse, actually brings the dementor right into the 
office where Crouch Jr. is being held.  All Snape had to do, of 
course, was tell Fudge he won't escort him to Crouch's location with 
a dementor.

So who is more responsible for this debacle?  We have McGonagall, the 
transfiguration teacher who may or may not know how to ward off a 
dementor, who is not expecting a dementor to show up.  And we have 
Snape, who has "always been fascinated by the Dark Arts", was "famous 
for it at school" and who "knew more curses when he arrived at school 
than half the kids in seventh year," so ought to know how to ward off 
a dementor.  GoF, 27.  Snape, the only person who had the opportunity 
to prevent the dementor from entering the castle at all.  Snape, who 
shouldn't have been as surprised when the dementor swooped down on 
Crouch.  Snape, who was also standing right there when the dementor 
swooped down on Crouch Jr., yet did nothing.

As between Snape and McGonagall, the blame for Crouch's demise should 
be placed squarely at the feet of Snape.  Not that I need any more 
reasons to dislike Snape and question his loyalty to Dumbledore.

Cindy (who thinks McGonagall needs a lawyer, a spin doctor, or both)