Why the Wait in the Kitchen?

[historygrrl1]

No: HPFGUIDX 82359

> 
> OOP, ch. 22, pg. 474:
> 
> "There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, 
leaving 
> behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.
> 
> "'It is Fawkes's warning,' said Dumbledore, catching the feather as 
> it fell. 'She (Umbridge) must know you're out of your 
beds...Minerva, 
> go and head her off -- tell her any story -- '"
> 
> 
> Umbridge, the mouthpiece to the Minister of Magic, knew they were 
> gone before they even left Hogwarts' grounds. And you can bet Fudge 
> heard about it before they touched down in Sirius's kitchen. 
> 
> So, then -- why the big speech by Sirius? The mere fact that they 
> were all standing there in front of him should have let him know 
that 
> everyone already knew that the children knew, "seconds after it 
> happened..." If this could seriously damage -- anything  -- to do 
> with the Order, why did Dumbledore whisk them away like that? It 
was 
> end of term -- all he would have had to have done would have been 
to 
> wait until the next day and everyone could have left without 
raising 
> the first eyebrow. They were receiving almost minute-by-minute 
> reports from the travelling portraits, Everard and especially 
Dilys, 
> so they didn't have to sit and worry without any news.
> 
> I know that when a loved-one is hurt you want to be at their side 
as 
> quickly as possible, but it just seems that Dumbleodre was a bit 
rash 
> in sending everyone off in the middle of the night like that, 
> especially with so much at stake. 
> 
> This whole sequence of events did not make sense to me. Can anyone 
> help un-addle my brain?
> 
> Thanks,
> Bohcoo

I don't know that this will un-addle anyone, but it made sense to me.

Umbrige is a) a meddler b) opposed to most everything Dumbledore does 
c) a ministry sycophant d) highly immoral - and while Dumbledore may 
not be completely aware of all her actions, he probably does have 
some notion that she's not a principled individual.

I think that Dumbledore sent the Weasleys and Harry off ASAP so that 
she couldn't get to them.  If Umbridge had arrived on the scene in 
DD's office, seen the children there, and heard the story of Harry's 
dream, she would have tried to prevent their departure.  If she 
succeeded, she might then have prevented them from getting further 
news from DD during the remaining 1-2 days before the holidays 
began.  Furthermore, Umbridge would then have known the whole story, 
rather than just what Dumbledore chose to reveal.  That could have 
compromised the secrecy of the Order.  

I'm guessing entirely without proof that DD told Umbridge that he 
sent Harry and the Weasleys to the Burrow.  (She probably protested 
his sending them at all, as she doesn't believe Harry, and his 
sending Harry along, as he is not a family member.)  DD could have 
claimed that he got the info from one of the portraits after Harry 
arrived in his office following his nightmare.  So the children's 
arrival at St. Mongo's before and without Molly would have looked 
very suspicious.  

I agree, though, that Sirius's speech is a little...weird.  

-Ellen
historygrrl1 at yahoo.com