How did Black get into Hogwarts in PoA? (Was: Dumbledore on the Dursleys . .

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 151684

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...>
wrote:
 
> Carol again:
> Sorry. Of course I meant PoA. So, I repeat, how did Sirius/Padfoot get
> past the Dementors to enter Hogwarts and attempt to kill Wormtail (in
> PoA, not GoF)? 

Annemehr:

*Canon* evidence, eh?

*gets the actual book*  ;)

Quotes are from US hardcover:

Ch. 4, when Harry hears Arthur and Molly arguing about whether to tell
Harry about Sirius Black being "after him." (66):
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Of course [Dumbledore] knows.  We had to ask him if he minds the
Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the
school grounds.  He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."
---------------------------------------------------------------

Ch. 9, in the Hospital Wing after Harry fell off his broom during the
Quiddtich match (181):
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice.
[...]...He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him --"
-----------------------------------------------------------------

This would seem to leave the Shrieking Shack/Whomping Willow route
wide open.

There is also some evidence that Padfoot either hung out in or
travelled through the Forbidden Forest.  From Ch. 15, when Harry woke
up and looked out his window in the middle of the night (303-304):
-----------------------------------------------------------------
He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic
searching, spotted it.  It was akirting the edge of the gorest now....
It wasn't the 
grim at all...it was a cat....[...]It was only Crookshanks....

Or *was* it only Crookshanks?  [...]

And just then it emerged -- a gigantic, shaggy black dog, moving
stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks at its side.
------------------------------------------------------------------

I checked several, at least, of the scenes where Harry et al walked
through the front doors, and there was never any mention of a guard on
them (Ch. 11, p. 216; Ch. 13, p. 257; Ch. 16, p. 327; Ch. 21; p. 397).
 Incidentally, in Ch. 15 (293) is when Hermione slaps Draco, right at
the castle steps -- and no mention of a guard or anyone here, either.
 Perhaps the most telling lack of evidence of guards at the gates is
in  Ch. 5, during their arrival at Hogwarts for the year (87): a pair
of dementors at the front gates is mentioned, setting the scene, but
there is no mention of anyone guarding the front doors.  

On the other hand, in the beginning of Ch. 14 (269), after Sirius
Black had gotten into Gryffindor Tower with Neville's stolen
passwords, Professor Flitwick taught the front doors to recognize "a
large picture of Sirius Black."  After this, though, there is no
mention of Sirius even trying to enter.

So, no, I don't see any problem with Sirius getting into the castle,
no matter which form he took.  Huge dogs can learn how to open doors,
and Scottish castle doors are not likely to open with door*knobs* like
the ones on many of our houses.

Annemehr