Sirius, Sirus, and more Sirius (was: Petunia/Headmaster/LVatHogwarts/Mo...)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 158404

---  "a_svirn" <a_svirn at ...> wrote:
>
> > a_svirn:
> > You are totally wrong, you know. In real life Social
> > Services would only get involved if a child's 
> > parents died intestate, without appointing a 
> > guardian and thus leaving their kid in the lurch.
> >  ... >>
> > 
> > Catlady:
> > ...I hate to think that if the police went into a 
> > house and found only some dead adults and one live 
> > baby, they would leave the baby there with no living
> > person to look after it...
> 
> a_svirn:
> And how does all this apply to Harry's situation? Did
> Dumbledore wait for the Potters will to be probated? 
> Is Hagrid a magical equivalent of a police officer?
>

bboyminn:

You seem determined to be contrary. We get your point,
Sirius was appointed by Harry's parents as guardian, but
that is not that. Nothing exists in a vacuum, 
circumstances DO matter. Sirius was thought to be the
Secret Keeper, the Secret was clearly betrayed, the left
Sirius with suspicion pointing at him. The authorities,
muggle or magic, would be unlikely to release Harry to 
Sirius or anyone else unless they were sure of his 
safety. They certainly would not release him to someone
who was suspected of betraying the Potters and bring 
about their deaths. In any case, muggle or magic, the 
authorities would examine the stituation and make a 
reasonable determination, and that would take time.

That reasonable determination, might occur on the spot
if an adult brother or sister, or grandparent, or other 
relative were on the scene to take the child, but even 
then some /reasonable determination/ would be made to 
assure that the child was not being turned over to an 
unsafe environment. 

I'm sure you will point out that Sirius /was/ on the 
scene to take Harry, and once again, I will point out 
that Sirius cooperated with Hagrid taking Harry. He even
assisted Hagrid by giving him his motorcycle. That 
implies that Sirius is giving permission for Dumbledore
to take control of Harry. Perhaps he only intended that
to be temporary, and if Sirius hadn't got himself thrown
in jail, he could have come out at a later date and tried
to assert his right as designated guardian.

You ask if Dumbledore waited for the Potter's Will to be
probated? Do you really think that would be resolved is 
five or ten minutes after the crime? Of course, not. 
Harry needed care immediately. Dumbledore took on the 
role of that care and he did so with the implied 
permission of Sirius. Further, no one was going to 
immediately turn Harry over to Sirius when Sirius was a 
suspect in the killing of the Potters. 

Now if Dumbledore had jumped the gun in placing Harry 
with the Dursley, and if Sirius name was cleared and he
was not thrown in prison, then Sirius could have made a 
claim for guardianship. But none of that happened. 

Under the CIRCUMSTANCE, which is the part that you seem 
determined to overlook. Dumbledore did what he felt was 
best, and he apparently did so with some degree of 
cooperation and thereby implied permission from Sirius.

On a tangental note, as discussed in other parts of this 
and other threads, people wonder how Sirius could have 
been thrown in prison without an investigation. The answer
is simple, he didn't defend himself, he didn't protest is 
arrest or his being sent to prison. He was so stunned with
shock and racked with guilt that he didn't claim he was
innocent. He didn't explain what happened. He may have 
even made statements that implied his guilt.

In that moment, with no protest of his own innocent, with
no offerred explanation, with likely statements implying
his own guilt, and with evidence pointing at him, it 
probably seemed very cut and dried to the Ministry.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn