McGonagall's character was Re: Sirius revisited

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 104375

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> wrote:
>  

> I've gone up and down the thread, and I still don't think you've 
> answered the questions this comment has generated. (Mine or others) 
> C'mon, you always insist on canon support...so what canon support do 
> you have for McGonagall's character in this case?
> 
> I agree, we can't always trust what characters tells us, but it 
> helps to have a reason not to trust them.
> 
> Or take a step back and tell us why JKR would have McGonagall 
> telling us Potter and Black were smart if they were not.
> 
> Potioncat (who hopes everyone can tell this is a friendly challenge)
> (and who also hopes there are 2 L's in McGonagall because it would 
> wake children if I went to check canon.....)


Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
I'm really, *really* disappointed with you lot.
I thought this was the cream of the HP analysts and LOONs. 
Apparently not.
Looks like I'll have to do your job for you.

OK. Timeline.
July 1st. Kneasy suggests Sirius isn't very bright, Nora questions
this, quoting McGonagall.

July 3rd. Kneasy suggests character reading of McGonagall could
raise reasonable doubts, *though admits he could be wrong*. 

He expects a rapid response with a canon-based refutation 
*which he knows exists* because he found it himself a couple of 
hours after making his post.
 
He awaits the executioners axe, but it never arrives.

Instead all hell breaks loose;  accusations of 'cheating' etc, etc.
*Nobody* seems to have done a decent canon search, they're too
busy getting emotional instead. More fun, I suppose.

July 4th Kneasy offers an indication of what would be a refutation that
would cause him to concede defeat and withdraw gracefully:
("So, if someone says something which  has canon support elsewhere
in the books, we can believe it - probably.")

Still no canon response. Is everybody asleep?
 
Not good enough folks, not good enough by a long way. 
It's a pretty poor show when a poster has to prove his own post is 
wrong when the necessary canon is in plain sight. 

The canon I've been waiting for someone to post? The backing for
McGonagall's statement that would make me withdraw?
It's in PoA chap 18. 
Look it up.

Kneasy