McGonagall and Lupin's reaction to Harry's story (and Snape's DE past)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 138623


Cathy: 
> Trusting someone on another's say-so will only get you so far.  
McGonagall and Snape had a history of 15 years working together as 
teachers and Heads of House.  She certainly should have trusted Snape 
for her own reasons by then, as well as for Dumbledore's judgement.  
She certainly didn't seem to think Snape's last set of detentions for 
Harry was out of line.  Then suddenly everything she *knows* about 
him is thrown away on the say-so of a 16 year old boy who, in all 
honesty, does not have the best track record for telling the 
truth...or for telling it without gloss, at least...and who is well 
known for his animosity towards Snape.

Finwitch:

Well, as for Harry's telling the truth - ok, so he has lied - to 
Snape mostly - BUT - in PS, Harry tried to tell McGonagall about 
someone stealing the stone, she didn't listen and it turned out that 
Harry was right and was nearly killed for it; Harry didn't try to 
deny his guilt about the car, and he was truthful about that Diary-
business... after saving a student she had been ready to sacrifice 
and I bet drawing Codric Gryffindor's sword meant *something* to her; 
Harry was right about Sirius AND Buckbeak being innocent -- and what 
of Pettigrew, unregistered animagus being there first with Percy, 
then with Ron - and she never noticed; GoF Harry was truthful about 
not putting his name in the Goblet etc.; OOP, Harry kept on telling 
the truth despite of having the back of his hand being cut open 
nearly every night for it - and Harry's *still* bearing the scars for 
that nasty Quill of Dolores Umbridge!

Besides, it wasn't just Harry, but Hagrid as well, and Harry did tell 
the *full* story, and he *had* told McGonagall of his suspicions on 
Malfoy earlier... Harry was immobilised by Dumbledore, out of sight 
under invisibility cloak and witnessed Snape cast the Avada Kedavra 
on Dumbledore.

And I think Dumbledore IS dead. I've also given up all hope that 
Sirius is somehow not dead. Why? Because of Sirius' Will and 
Kreacher's reaction. Kreacher would know if Sirius wasn't dead... and 
for Dumbledore- Umbridge wasn't able to get past the Gargoyle, 
remember? No one could get in there with Dumbledore away... I sort of 
think that McGonagall wouldn't have been able to call it *her office* 
had Dumbledore not been truly dead.

But, as Dumbledore said in CoS, he's only truly gone from Hogwarts 
when none there is loyal to him (words Harry retold to the new 
minister) and in PoA - those we love never truly leave us.

And purely artistic view - Harry's loyalty even when Dumbledore's 
dead - would lose its meaning if it turned out that Dumbledore is NOT 
dead. 

Besides, I'd think Harry would wonder if he did NOT see the green 
light, the one thing he remembered from his parents' death despite of 
all the lies the Dursleys told him.

Finwitch