In defense of DD WAS musings on Dumbledore - Even Longer

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 158727

Magpie wrote, about the hypothetical Ron killed Harry scenario:
> 
> The only real evidence that makes Ron look bad in that situation is 
that he 
> was Secret Keeper, though he claims they switched at the last 
minute.  Ron's 
> laughing is only evidence in the literary sense--really he's 
hysterically 
> laughing, not laughing in triumph. 

Julie:
This reminds me, did Sirius ever claim at his trial that James
switched secret-keepers at the last moment? I don't recall that
he did. It seems Sirius was so upset at his own role in talking
James into switching secret-keepers that he didn't defend himself
at all during the trial. He wanted to be found guilty. 

Definitely if Sirius had proclaimed his innocence, then DD should
have taken it upon himself to investigate the situation further.
But if Sirius remained silent, made himself seem guilty out of
self-loathing, then would DD have any reason to question the
apparent guilt of a man who isn't in fact disputing that guilt?

Magpie wrote:
Hagrid even describes Sirius as seeming 
> shaken up when he sees him at the Potters--right before Sirius 
allows Hagrid 
> to take Harry instead of, say, killing Hagrid or insisting on 
taking Harry 
> himself so he could bring him to the Death Eaters.
> 

Julie:
Hmm, that is a rather glaring inconsistency that hadn't occurred
to me before. This does seem like odd behavior for someone who
helped Voldemort get to the Potters knowing the intent was to kill
Harry. I suppose one could assume Sirius's only part was to get
Voldemort there, and he didn't have the stomach to finish the
task once Voldemort was "gone." After all, this is apparently 
how Peter felt when he retrieved Voldemort's wand but left Harry
there still alive. 

Still, it is something Dumbledore might have questioned, I agree.
Definitely a mistake on his part. I just see it as more of a human
error than anything glaring or malicious, and once Sirius's guilt 
seemed confirmed, partly by Sirius's own refusal to defend himself, 
that inconsistency didn't seem significant enough to investigate.

Julie