DD and Draco's murder attempts WAS: Draco and Harry

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 153421

> >>Betsy:
> > <snip>
> > Proof or no proof, evidence or no evidence, the headmaster would 
> > worry less about the ramifications for the legal case and much   
> > more for the safety of his students.  If only because his job    
> > depends on it.

> >>Pippin:
> Um, well, I've had the dubious advantage of living through         
> something like this in real life. It's not so simple.
> I went to a public high school in Chicago. It was full of members 
> of a still notorious gang who probably deserved to be  in jail and
> were certainly being spied on by the FBI.  Here's what the         
> principal could do about it...zilch.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Part of the difference in this instance though is that Hogwarts is a 
private school.  Or, it seems to be based on such with the 
Headmaster having a great deal of free rein over the running of the 
school.  Hagrid was booted from Hogwarts with little to no proof of 
his having killed Myrtle.  The suspicion, in that case, was enough 
to have him removed.  Which shows, IMO, the power the Headmaster has.

> >>Pippin:
> Dumbledore may have been morally certain that Draco was behind the
> attacks, but the moment the authorities start substituting moral   
> certainty for evidence is the moment the Crouch Srs take over. 

Betsy Hp:
I do agree with this.  Draco shouldn't be thrown into Azkaban 
without a fair trial (and at the time of Katie Bell I don't think 
there was any evidence, aside from Snape's testimony, that Draco was 
involved).  However, Dumbledore has made it clear that he is no 
longer operating within the law.  Dumbledore knows Draco's actions 
led to Katie and Ron nearly dying.  The students (and the staff for 
that matter) are no longer safe, and Dumbledore *knows* exactly who 
is the cause of the danger.  (He trusts Snape.)

What Dumbledore could have done was pro-actively take Draco and 
Narcissa into the Order's custody.  This would have been the best 
move to ensure the safety of his school.  I'm not sure that it would 
have been the best move for the Order, in that I think Draco would 
have been lost to them if he'd been interfered with that early.  
Plus, Snape may have died (that pesky Vow <g>).

So Dumbledore failed in his role of Headmaster for the majority of 
Hogwarts, but he may have done the best thing in his role as Leader 
of the Order.

Betsy Hp (thinking she's waffling a bit... oh well <g>)