In defense of DD WAS musings on Dumbledore - Even Longer/Sirius

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 158726

Alla graciously quoted:
> 
> Here it goes:
> 
> 
> "So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.
> 
>  
> 
> "Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told 
Dumbledore
> 
> that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black 
was
> 
> planning to go into hiding himself... and yet, Dumbledore remained
> 
> worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper
> 
> himself."
> 
>  
> 
> "He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.
> 
>  
> 
> "He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping
> 
> You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall
> 
> darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our 
> side
> 
> had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to
> 
> You-Know-Who."
> 
>  
> 
> "But James Potter insisted on using Black?"
> 
>  
> 
> "He did," said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the
> 
> Fidelius Charm had been performed --" "Black betrayed them?" 
breathed
> 
> Madam Rosmerta.
> 
>  
> 
> "He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was 
> ready
> 
> to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have
> 
> planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all 
> know,
> 
> You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone,
> 
> horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty 
> position
> 
> indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had
> 
> shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for 
> it
> 
> --"
> 
>  
> 
> "Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the 
bar
> 
> went quiet." (PoA, Ch.10)
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Isn't this interesting? All that I can say with certainty if I 
> consider Minerva's words to be absolutely correct is that James 
told 
> DD that Black would rather die that betray him and that Black would 
> go into hiding with them.
> 
> I do not see anywhere in this passage "James told DD that Sirius 
was 
> their secret keeper". Is it referenced somewhere else?
> 
> Now, when Fudge opens his mouth, now we have the story of Black 
> indeed being Secret Keeper, etc and we know that Fudge has an 
active 
> imagination. 

Julie:
That is the reference I meant. As you say, McGonagall implies
DD knew when she says "Of course" and continues about how James
assured DD that Sirius would never betray him. It does seem to
add credence as to why DD easily accepted Sirius's guilt since
he suspected someone close was passing information to the other
side and didn't completely trust Sirius as James' secret-keeper
(as he might not have completely trusted anyone except himself).
Add the very strong evidence against Sirius, and perhaps it's not
that surprising DD didn't question Sirius's guilt any further.

Alla again:
> 
> Here is even more interesting piece of information almost right 
> after this quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar
> 
> went quiet.
> 
>  
> 
> "Shh!" said Professor McGonagall."
> 
> 
> 
> "I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him 
> before he
> 
> killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an'
> 
> James's house after they was killed! jus' got him outta the ruins, 
> poor
> 
> little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his 
parents
> 
> dead... an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used 
> ter
> 
> ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know 
> he'd
> 
> bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the 
news 
> o'
> 
> You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an'
> 
> shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN'
> 
> TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.
> 
>  
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Funny, isn't it? When Hagrid goes to pick Harry up he does not know 
> that Sirius is a Secret Keeper. Hmmmm, if Dumbledore knew wouldn't 
> you think that he would have told Hagrid to stear clear from 
> suspected traitor?
> 
> This is of course **not** hundred percent proof that Dumbledore did 
> not know that Sirius was a secret keeper, but on the other hand 
> makes one wonder.
> 
> If he truly believed that Sirius is a traitor, why didn't he told 
> Hagrid to be ware if Sirius shows up? 
> 

Julie:
Interesting point. I don't know if DD suspected Sirius directly,
or was generally distrustful of everyone in the Order and close
to James at that point. I suspect that latter. 

I also am not sure DD knew exactly what had happened at GH when
he first sent Hagrid, other than that James and Lily were dead
and Harry had somehow survived. Did he know at that point that
Voldemort had been "vaporized"? He may have been withholding
judgment until he knew more facts, or simply in a big hurry to
get Harry out of there and assuming Sirius wasn't likely to 
show up if he was the one who betrayed the Potters. 

Or it could be just a continuity mistake by JKR. What I don't
believe is that DD didn't know Sirius was the secret-keeper 
and *then* flat out LIED and said the opposite in court. And
I don't see any other reason for JKR to add the McGonagall bit 
above to the text if it wasn't to set down that fact. It's not
100% proven of course, but far more likely than us finding out
that McGonagall or DD lied about it. Though if McGonagall is
ESE...

Erm, anyway, I know we're going to get more about GH in book
7 and I expect what we learn may clear up just how much DD
knew and how he learned it. The more I think about it, the
more I believe *someone* must have been at GH and relayed 
much of what happened to DD for DD to react so quickly. And
I think that someone's name may just begin with an S and end
with an E... ;-)

Julie, revived by caffeine...