Clearing Sirius' name

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 72149

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Aesha Williams" 
<awillia2 at g...> wrote:
> Marianne said:
>     As far as Sirius is concerned, Dumbledore still has no proof of 
his 
> innocence.  And, he has no body to prove Sirius is dead.  All of 
the 
> people who saw him fall through the veil could swear to it or sign 
> affadavits or do whatever the Ministry thinks is appropriate, but, 
is 
> that enough?  Which is not to say the Dumbledore wouldn't 
> say, "Sirius Black fought with us and died."  He might perhaps 
> persuade Fudge to stop wasting Auror time looking for Sirius.  But, 
> as for getting a formal posthumous clearing of his name?  I don't 
> think that's in the cards yet. 
> 
> My thoughts:
>     I think that, now that the Ministry and wizarding society know 
that Voldemort is alive and well, and has his death eaters ready and 
willing to join him in his war, they know that Harry and Dumbledore 
were telling the truth all along. I think that if Harry and 
Dumbledore were to explain the situation about Sirius- how Pettigrew 
became the secret keeper, about the mix-up with the Muggle Massacre, 
and maybe a few details about how they were unregistered animagi 
(since James and Sirius are dead, and Peter is no good)- so the world 
would know how easy it was for him to hide- then it does make sense 
and I think, with Harry and Dumbledore's reputations being restored, 
they'd be believed. Especially Dumbledore- since he is probably the 
most respected wizard in the world anyway.
> 
> Aesha
> 
Don't get me wrong - I'd love that to be the case.  But, if that 
happens then I think it makes the general populace seem even more 
sheep-like than they appear to be.  Here we have Dumbledore and Harry 
maligned in the press throughout a good part of OoP.  It's only when 
Harry's Scribbler interview comes out that some people step forward 
and say they believe him, and judging from some of the mail he got, 
some of these folks are the same sort of people who will jump onto 
the nearest conspiracy theory as it flies by.  

There is apparently no great uproar at Dumbledore's treatment by the 
Ministry. There is no popular groundswell of support by people who 
don't believe that Harry is a nut-case, no matter what the Daily 
Prophet says.  And, now these same people, who have been given 
information and who have believed, for over a decade, the story of  
evil Sirius Black, Voldemort's right hand man, are expected to 
believe, with no evidence, that he was wrongly accused. 

It may very well happen that way.  I wouldn't find that particularly 
believable unless it is accompanied by a very public examination by 
the Ministry of how they administer justice.  Who's to say there 
aren't others in Azkaban who were wrongly convicted?  Or who also had 
no trial? But, for Fudge to simply make a proclamation saying "We now 
know Sirius Black was innocent because Harry and Dumbledore say so"
doesn't offer enough evidence. Certainly some segment of the wizard 
world would accept Dumbledor's word at face value.  But, it's still 
not proof.

Marianne