JKR's Single Biggest Error - ie: Veritaserum

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 124079


>>Alla:
>Ummm, Betsy, I said in my previuous posts that I know about Sirius 
having no trial :o).
>Nevertheless, I don't think that it is a given that no investigation 
whatsoever was conducted. I will grant you that it is a strong 
possibility that exactly that happened, but unless I forgot something 
vital ( and then I will eat my words :o)), I don't remember canon 
statting with absolute certainty that no investigation happened.
>In fact, I believe that Dumbledore giving evidence alludes to the 
opposite conclusion - that SOME kind of hearing occurred.
>Do I think that was sufficient investigation? NO, of course not. Let 
me repeat again - I don't like WW justice system at all.
>But with whatever investigation they had , even if Sirius only 
proclamation of innocence was when aurors were leading him away, I 
think that Veritaserum should have been used,<

Betsy:
Okay - I think I see where the disagreement is happening.  The way I 
see it, no investigation, hearing, discussion, nothing, occurred 
*after* Sirius was captured.  I see it that Sirius was grabbed, 
thrown in Azkaban and the file was closed.

An investigation occurred *before* the capture to determine who was 
responsible for the deaths, and that's when Dumbledore gave evidence 
that Sirius was their secret-keeper, and that's how the Aurors knew 
who to hunt down.

I agree, if Sirius was protesting his innocence on his way to Azkaban 
(though his mad laughter suggests he was in no shape to say much of 
anything), then at the very least questioning him would have been 
wise.  Using Veritaserum would have been wise as well.  And a trial 
would have been both wise and fair.  However, Sirius was not treated 
wisely or fairly.  So while not using Veritaserum was a mistake on 
the part of the Ministry, it fits well with their behavior and so is 
not a mistake on the part of the author.  At least in my opinion. :)

Betsy