McGonagall (and Snape) & Dementor

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 33423

Barb quoted:
> > > And, No, I don't think that {McGonagall} should be blamed for 
what 
> > > happened with Crouch, Jr.  I recall we had a debate about that 
subject 
> > > a few mths back, and sorry Cindy, but I agree with the folks 
who pointed
> > > out that *Snape* was equally culpable in that affair in that he 
should 
> > > have put his foot down *outside* the castle (refused to allow 
Fudge to 
> > > bring a dementor into the castle at all).  What exactly was 
McGonagall 
> > > supposed to do? The Dementor probably acted so quickly that she 
didn't 
> > > have time to react.  I might also add that Snape also didn't 
react to 
> > > stop the dementor from administering the Kiss, and he was 
standing right 
> > > there with McGonagall & Fudge presumably.

and then Barb said:
> This probably came up in your previous debate, but couldn't 
> McGonagall have conjured a Patronus?  We see Lupin and Dumbledore 
> doing it at different times in PoA, and I hate that it makes 
> McGonagall look bad that she couldn't stop the dementor.


I disagree with all'ya'll!  :-)

Imho, what happened to Crouch Jr. has nothing to do with magical 
ability and everything to do with chain of authority.  I mean, Fudge 
brought the Dementor to Kiss Crouch Jr., and if he refused to 
disallow it despite arguments against it, for McGonnagal or Snape to 
toss a Patronus at it would be like your favorite high school teacher 
picking a fight with the executioner when the President/Prime 
Minister is standing there saying "kill the prisoner asap!"  As 
significant to the HP story as are McGonnagal and Snape, they are low 
on the totem pole in the wizarding world as a whole compared to MoM 
Fudge (unfortunately).

Perhaps they *should* have tried to intervene magically to stop 
the Dementor, but honestly, I doubt they expected Fudge to do 
something so rash, stupid and premature.  And in the time it would 
take for either of them to argue with Fudge, and for it to dawn on 
them that he will not listen to reason and seriously means to go 
through with it ~ it's done.

So if we are going to assign fault, it's all Fudge's, for ordering it 
to be done and for not listening to reason.  Both McGonnagal's and 
Snape's hands were tied, in terms of authority.

Mahoney
still wondering if Fudge was in his right mind ~ or in complete 
control of his mind ~ when he pulled that *unbelievably* blockheaded 
move