Filed under - Why didn't they....?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 91934

I was re-reading OoP last night and once again came across the section
of the book where Umbridge has dragged Harry to the Headmaster's
office by where Fudge, Shacklebolt, Dawlish, McGonagall, and
Dumbledore are waiting. (The capture as the DA members fled from the
Room of Requirements just before Easter.)

In the past, we have speculated on alternate, as well as more
realistic, means by which this situation could have been resolved. 

My initial raction would have been for Dumbledore and/or Harry to
discount the value of the DA member's list as evidence, by pointing
out that it is the nature of the Room of Requirements to give the
seeker what they require. Umbridge required evidence, and the room
manufactured it. Umbridge as good as said this herself, "...We needed
evidence and the room provided...". 

Of course, this brings up the debate about whether the room literally
creates what is needed, or whether is simply borrows objects (books,
dark detectors, silk cushions, etc...). While a valid point, I don't
think it would come into play because no one really knows for sure how
the Room of Requirements works, so Dumbledore and Harry could make any
claim, and it would be difficult for Umbridge or Fudge to dispute it.
Remember, Dumbledore only discovered the room by accident in GoF, so
to him, it's still one of Hogwart's many mysteries.

While 'the Room of Requirements provides what you need' was my
original alternate solution to the situation, I came up with another
one when I was re-reading last night. Here it goes...

Near the end of the chapter, all issues have been resolved; Dumbledore
 has established that Harry first Hog's Head meeting was not illegal,
Marietta's testimony has been discredited and her memory has been
modififed. At that point, we are left with nothing buy Umbridge's
speculation, then Umbridge unleashes the coup de grâce, she produces
the Dumbledore's Army Members List. At that point, it looks like all
is lost. 

The only way out is for Dumbledore to take the blame himself in order
to get Harry off the hook. But wait...

That list was created during the first D.A. Hog's Head meeting which,
it has already been established, was not illegal. There were even
witnesses. In fact, Umbridge's own witness, Willy Widdershins, as well
as the Innkeeper, would have seen the students sign the list. That
would make the list nothing more than a record of who attended the
first meeting, and consequently, of no value in proving anything about
what may or may not have happened after the list was created. 

After this, there would still be some explaining to do, but Fudge and
Umbridge's last piece of solid evidence would have been discredited.
That would leave them, at the most, with the minor infraction of a few
basic school rules. Although, I can only speculate what those rules
might be. I'm guessing, given her nature, Umbridge could have come up
with something, but the punishment wouldn't have been more than
detention. 

So we must ask, why didn't they think of these two perfectly good
excuses to get out of this trouble?

Well the most obvious answer is that if they had used them, it would
have messed up the story. JKR needed to get Dumbledore out of the
castle, and this was her method.

On a more realistic note, in the heat of the moment none of us,
whether we are real or fictional, can think of all possible solutions
to a problem while under that kind of pressure. I feel confident that
we can all look at our own real lives and see situations where, in
hindsight, we said, 'why didn't I think of this or why didn't I do
that?'. Perfectly good solution that, sadly, didn't come to us until
after the fact. It's just human nature. In the heat of the moment, you
run with the first good idea that pops into your mind.

So while I have two seemingly perfectly good ways out of the
situation, I still have no problem with the solution that
JKR/Dumbledore created. It's a prefectly logical 'heat of the moment'
solution.

In a sense, this was sort of a non-post; I really didn't say much. All
I really wanted to do was to point out this alternate solution that
popped into my head as I was reading that scene last night. 

Just a thought.

bboy_mn