Question/comment about veil

[Louis Badalament]

No: HPFGUIDX 95849

My personal thoughts on your observations:

1)  I'm sure the Order of the Phoenix was very well aware of what 
the Veil was and was capable of.  If Dumbledore didn't know 
beforehand, those Order members serving in the Ministry would have 
told him about it at some point.  I'm very certain there's a LOT 
Dumbledore knows on Fudge and what happens in his Ministry.  

2) Why would they battle right there?  Simple.  Because that's where 
the fighting was. 

Such is the nature of combat: think of what you've seen (yes, even 
on television) of where it taskes place.  Grown men and women are 
perfectly willing to have it out on rickety bridges, atop of 
airplanes, in volcanos, downpours of rain, and in buildings where a 
great big time bomb is about to go off.  Marquis de Queensbury rules 
do not apply.  Combat can and will take place ANYWHERE two sepearte 
interests are willing to engage in it.   Speaking from a 
purely 'author-ial' perspective, it adds terrifically to the drama 
of the moment.  Besides, you could hardly expect the Order members 
and Death Eaters to simply all pocket their wands, walk single file 
to some 'safer' room, and then explode back into combat.  Let me ask 
you this, also; would it had bothered you if Sirius had gotten 
Bellatrix to fall through?

3) Clearly Bellatrix realized what the Viel would do, otherwise she 
wouldn't have been half as happy.  Voldemort probably knows as much 
about the insides of Fudge's operations as Dumbledore, especially 
with such helpful souls as Lucius Malfox and Walden Macnair working 
from the inside.  

4)  "Why weren't they more careful?"  Correct me if I'm wrong, but 
the way I read it, *Sirius alone* was the one who goaded her, 
saying "Come on, you can do better than that!"  (Incidentally - what 
a funny sentence to end your life on!)  Practically everybody else 
was exercising prudence, shouting out nothing but spells, but Sirius 
chose that moment to be a cocky show-off.  He literally did INVITE 
her to do it.
 
5)  Yes, Hermione did have an interesting reaction, didn't she?

A few final observations.  As you say, it's all "evaporated potions" 
at this point - but the sad fact was, Sirius was meant to die.  Not 
so much in the 'classical tragedy' sense, such as with Oedipus or 
Antigone.  Bellatrix's shot could have just as easily missed Sirius 
as hit him.  You're right; it WAS avoidable, and that's what adds to 
the tragedy.  If he had been, say, dying of cancer all through the 
book, and the cancer caught up to him, we could all shake our heads 
in sad acceptance and say, 'it was his time.'  But Death is just not 
always that kind. 

Rowling wanted Sirius to die.  It hurt her, but she did it.  
Morever, she orchestrated his death in a most unusual fashion; where 
his body accompanied him with his soul.  I'd be very surprised if 
Rowling didn't have a reason for this.  I really doubt that Sirius 
will simply be dropped from the plot.  Take heart.

Louis Badalament II