A thought about PS/SS / Doubts about DD

[mhbobbin]

No: HPFGUIDX 115285


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Hannah" <hannahmarder at y...> 
wrote:
> snip> > > 
> > > So why doesn't DD have some sort of reaction to the name when 
> > Hagrid says Sirius' name? Surely DD would have registered some 
> surprise,  but he only says "No problems, were there?"
> > > <snip>
> 
> > kmc replied:
> > He may have been expecting Sirius to be at GH.  It may be the 
> reason he sent Hagrid and not someone else.  I have read these 
books 
> > numerous times and it is just now that I associated the "No 
> problems, were there?" with the fact that Sirius was there.  I had 
> read that as  problems with the authorities, problems with the 
> collapsed house, or problems with even finding Harry.
> > 
> >snip> 
> As for DD's lack of reaction to Sirius 
> being there, it's just another suspicious thing about the whole 
set 
> up.
> Hannah

mhbobbin:

It does seem to underscore that DD keeps so many secrets under 
wraps. Why no reaction to Sirius Black's name? Good point. And how 
was DD expecting Hagrid to transport Harry to Privet Drive had Black 
not loaned him the motorbike. Thestral? (Around a baby? I don't like 
that at all.)

What did DD's "to-do" list look like that day? We only know he 
wasn't around Hogwarts because McGonagall wanted to question him and 
could not.  He ostensibly was making arrangements for Harry. Was he 
thinking, first I arrange for Harry's safety, next I pursue Sirius 
Black for questioning --using his special skills, and possibly, 
justice. He likely believes that he alone knows that Black was the 
Secret Keeper and is not revealing that information to his two most 
trusted associates--McGonagall and Hagrid--yet. Seems risky to allow 
Hagrid to go to GH where he might meet up with the Betrayer, with 
the result of the Betrayer lending his motorbike to transport Harry--
unless DD had some doubt about Sirius' guilt. (Of course, all this 
exposition about SB would have overwhelmed the first chapter.)

DD clearly knows more about GH and The Betrayal than has yet been 
revealed. Were DD's intial doubts about Sirius' guilt simply 
overtaken by events? Sirius's actions were not those of an innocent 
man---as DD reminds us about later events.

 I find DD's silence about SB in this scene as possible evidence 
that DD wanted the opportunity to speak to SB before coming to a 
conclusion about the Betrayal, but was later persuaded by events  
that Sirius was,in fact, guilty. But i concede it's more suspicious 
than that.

Posters have made interesting cases that DD is responsible for SB 
disappearing into Azkaban and Sirius disappearing beyond the veil. 
I'm almost persuaded.  

Time and again, we return to Godric Hollow. It is still, IMO, the 
central mystery of the story.

mhbobbin---who posted on the motorcycle thread that which belonged 
here. forgive me for redundancy.