[HPforGrownups] Re: looong - musings on Dumbledore - Even Longer

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 158670

> Diana:
> Don't forget that at the time Sirius was first arrested, DD himself
> thought Sirius was guilty of betraying the Potters because DD was
> not aware that Pettigrew had been the Secret Keeper in a last minute
> switch suggested by Sirius.  Sirius was hauled off to Azkaban
> laughing his head off.  Sirius himself didn't protest his innocence,
> as far as I can tell, because he felt responsible for his friends'
> deaths.  Sirius blamed himself for suggesting Pettigrew as Secret
> Keeper, as evidenced by his admitting to Harry that he as good as
> killed Harry's parents in PoA.  By all appearances, Sirius went
> round the bend for a little bit after Lily and James were murdered.

Magpie:
Right, but I think that's what everyone is saying anyway.  Dumbledore 
believed Sirius was guilty, or had no problem with his being guilty, so he 
didn't do anything to investigate further or find out what really happened. 
Snape was someone that he (Dumbledore) had a personal interest in, so even 
thought Snape actually was guilty, he got off.  Snape never went to jail at 
all for being a DE.  He went to Dumbledore and repented (allegedly--I 
realize this matter is in question), and Dumbledore recruited him and put 
him to work.  So he wasn't a DE *anymore*--but he had been before.  Snape 
benefitted from Dumbledore's personal justice system, Sirius less so.  Not 
at all at the time, that is.  Later, after he'd broken out and told his 
story to Harry Dumbledore helped him escape.

As to whether DD's word would have been enough to clear Sirius in PoA, it's 
canon that it wouldn't, though I don't remember exactly how that information 
is given.  Just DD saying that without Peter no one will believe the story. 
Okay, maybe we do have Veritaseum that could be given to the 13-year-olds 
that would back the story up, but at least we're told in canon that nothing 
will work.  Strangely, after OotP Fudge seems fine with Sirius being 
innocent and I'm not sure why.  There's no more evidence than there was 
before, not even a body.  Maybe I'm forgetting something.

-m