Dumbledore and Sirius' guilt (Was: Clearing Sirius/ Dumbledore's gleam)

[sirius_kase]

No: HPFGUIDX 36335

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "jklb66" <jklb66 at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "kiricat2001" <Zarleycat at a...> 
wrote:
> I wrote:
> >Dumbledore can't testify for Sirius because he doesn't have 
any 
> >first hand knowledge of Sirius's innocence.  All he could say 
> >is, "Sirius told me he is innocent, and I believed him."  
> 
> And Mariane replied: 
> > Which brings up a question regarding Dumbledore and 
Sirius.  We 
> >know that Dumbledore believed that Sirius was the Potters' 
Secret 
> >Keeper. He told the MOM that was the case once Sirius was 
in custody 
> >after the confrontation with Pettigrew.  
> > 
> > What I wonder is this:  Did Dumbledore believe the 
(admittedly)
> > overwhelming evidence of Sirius' guilt and write him off as 
the 
> >worst kind of traitor? Or did he try to visit Sirius either before 
> >or right after he was sent to Azkaban to get Sirius' version of 
the 
> >story?  If so, was he not allowed this visit?  That strikes me as 
> >odd.  I would think that someone as well-known, respected 
and 
> >powerful as Dumbledore would be able to get at least fifteen 
minutes 
> >to see a prisoner, even if the only way he could do it was to 
call 
> >in some favors.  
> > 
> > And, if he was allowed the visit, obviously Sirius was not able 
to 
> > convince Dumbledore that he was innocent.  And, if that was 
the 
> >case, why does Dumbledore suddenly believe him in PoA?  
He has no 
> >more concrete evidence - he hasn't seen Pettigrew, he hears 
Snape's 
> > version of events, and Remus is not available to offer any 
> > explanations.  All he has to go on are the observations of 
Harry 
> >and Hermione and whatever Sirius told him while being held 
in 
> >Flitwick's office. Is it Harry/Hermione's explanation that 
convinces 
> >Dumbledore? 
> 
> Actually, Dumbledore seems to believe Sirius even before he 
reaches 
> Harry & Hermione in the hospital wing.  When he arrives, I'm 
sure 
> their insisting that Sirius is innocent confirmed Sirius's story for 
> him, but look at his actions even before H&H can say a word-- 
he 
> kicks everyone out of the room so he can speak to H&H 
privately.  
> There is no need to do that in order to hear if H&H's story 
match 
> Sirius's; he does this so he can tell them to use the 
time-turner.
> 
> So, somehow, Sirius did convince Dumbledore that he was 
innocent.  
> Perhaps part of it was that Sirius's story this time was one that 
4 
> other witnesses (Lupin, HRH) could either confirm or deny, so 
there 
> was no point in lying (other than to buy a few more 
dementor-free 
> moments).  
> 
> It does make me think that Dumbledore and Sirius did NOT 
speak before 
> he was sent to Azkaban. Why didn't Dumbledore question 
him?  Either 
> the MoM prevented it, or Dumbledore was so convinced of 
Sirius's 
> guilt in the wake of Peter's murder that he couldn't or wouldn't 
> speak to him. Dumbledore is probably kicking himself for that 
now!
> 
> -Jennifer

Dumbledore has a piece of information that you didn't mention.  
Remember, he already knows that Buckbeak escaped, probably 
freed by someone.  In fact, he may have have looked out the 
window and seen Harry in the garden with Buckbeak.  He stalled 
a little for time and then when the execution committee came out 
and discovered Buckbeak missing, he made his amused 
"search the sky" remark and requested that they all go back into 
Hagrid's hut for a cup of tea.  At some point, Dumbledore 
realized that in order for Harry and Hermione to free Buckbeak, 
they would need to time travel.   He had to do something so that 
what he knew must happen would happen.  When interviewing 
Sirius, Dumbledore figured that Buckbeak needed a companion, 
he wouldn't escape on his own and that Sirius story made 
enough sense to believe.

Sirius Kase