Dumbledore; McGonagall & Dementor

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 33426

Penny wrote:

>>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.

I think we're on the same team on this one, Penny.  I was a proponent 
of the idea that Snape brought the dementor into the castle, so the 
whole debacle was mostly Snape's fault.  (The theory didn't garner 
much support back then, but it's good to see that there might be some 
support now).  I'll admit that my support for the idea was mostly 
based on an intense and irrational dislike of Snape rather than a 
desire to bolster McGonagall, although I probably said something 
different at the time.  :-)

But the fact remains that McGonagall was given the task to stand 
guard over the prisoner, so I guess she has to take some of the blame.

I guess my disappointment with McGonagall is she doesn't often behave 
like the second in command.  I was trying to think of examples, and 
the only one that comes to mind right now is Star Trek.  The second 
in command is always a pivotal role, and he/she is capable of running 
the ship when the captain is imprisoned by aliens or whatever.  
He/she often brings personality traits to the table that the captain 
doesn't possess (say, having an analytical mind compared to the 
captain's more impulsive nature).

In HP, McGonagall doesn't seem to bring anything to the table to 
compliment Dumbledore's skills.  (Ironically, they both seem to have 
taught the same subject -- Transfiguration).  Her one chance to run 
things was when Dumbledore was relieved of his position in CoS, and I 
don't recall her being placed in charge or being allowed to step up.  
It isn't McGonagall's fault, of course.  It is JKR's decision, and a 
missed opportunity to show us why McGonagall is Deputy Headmistress, 
IMHO. 

David makes a good point that we can't blame Snape for bringing the 
dementor unless we know for sure that Fudge didn't know how to get to 
the office where Crouch was being held.  Well, OK.  But that requires 
us to assume that Fudge (who might or might not be a Hogwarts alum) 
could navigate the shifting stairwells well enough to find Moody's 
office (which might or might not be the same office as the DADA 
professor in Fudge's time), despite the many years that have passed.

Cindy