Jo's Squib error? A Few Minor Points

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 123875


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...>
wrote:

> Carol responds:
>
> ... but the fact remains that she has unambiguously stated that Mrs.
> Figg can't see Dementors. ...edited...

bboyminn: 

Something I wanted to point out before in this thread by forgot to add
to my previous posts. Despite Fudge pulling together the entire
Wizangamont Court in an attempt to intimidate Harry, this event wasn't
really a trial, it was a disciplinary hearing; /hearing/ being the
operative word. 

If you remember conversations before the hearing, it was expected that
 Harry would appear before Madame Amelia Bones in her office for
questioning, and indeed, once we got past Fudge's blustering, it was
Madame Bones who did most of the questioning in the courtroom. 

The fact that the normal course of events would have been for Harry to
meet Madame Bones in her office to explain himself, should be the
point from which we draw our impression of the true magnitude of this
problem. 

So, perhaps there is a different standard of /truth/ for a Hearing.
Perhaps people merely gave statements rather than sworn testimony. If
that were true then, while it was certainly unethical, it may not have
been perjury for Mrs. Figg to embellish her statements slightly.

Given that Fudge was trying to corrupt the whole legal process and, as
we say in the states, railroad Harry, Dumbledore and/or Figg may not
have seen this slight adjustment to the truth as that big a deal. It
pales compared to the level of corruption that Fudge is engaged in.


Carol continues:
>
> OTOH, Hermione's parents somehow got into Diagon Alley in CoS, so 
> they must have been able to see the Leaky Cauldron, which Muggles 
> ordinarily pass right by.) Inconsistent? Not thought through? I 
> don't know. 
> 
> ...substantial edit...
> 
> Carol, who likes Figgy, anyway. Here's to catfood cans and tartan
> slippers!

bboyminn:

I surmise you are just making a literary point, and not truly seeking
an answer to these questions, but I'll answer them anyway.

I don't think Mr/Mrs Granger can see the Leaky Cauldron. It would be
next to impossible for them to find it themselves. But, Hermione is a
witch, she can certainly see the gateway to the wizard world. All she
had to do was lead her parent into the pub, and there wouldn't have
been any problems after that.

Some might initially see that as an authoral inconsistency, but it's a
problem that is quite easy to solve /off page/. 

In closing, I like Mrs. Figg as a character too. I really hope we see
Harry spending some time at her house in the next book. Clearly she is
a bit batty, but is probably very nice now that her secret is out, and
she doesn't care what the Dursley's think.

Just a couple of small points.

Steve/bboyminn