ESE!McGonagall (not what you think)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 164245

First, some questions to ponder about McGonagall:
 

 
1. Why do we know less about McGonagall's past than we do about  any other 
major adult characters (heck, than some of the minor adult characters)?  We
know some snippets about Snape's family and his past, about  Dumbledore,
Lupin, James, Lily, Sirius, Hagrid, Molly and Arthur, etc. But nothing of  any
substance about McGonagall...except that she did go to school at the  same
time as Tom Riddle, Hagrid, and Eileen Prince. 
 
In addition, JKR has said virtually nothing about McGonagall. She's  stated
her thoughts and feelings about most of the other adult characters, how  she
would pick Lupin as a teacher, how Sirius is a good man even though  he
is clearly damaged from his time in Azkaban, about Dumbledore's  goodness,
about the different values of James' and Lily's sacrifices for their infant  
son,
Tom's lack of love, plenty about Snape ("There's more to him than meets  the
eye," "You shouldn't think he's *too* nice," "Really, who would want Snape  to
love him")--all cryptic as befits the uncertain status of his character. Is  
this
lack of notice just because McGonagall is essentially a one-note and rather 
boring character? Or is there some reason JKR as revealed so little about 
McGonagall?
 


2. Why isn't *she* Dumbledore's confidante? The two have known  each other 
since
McGonagall was a student herself--for more than 50 years--and have been at  
Hogwarts
as colleagues most of that time. McGonagall aligns herself firmly against  
Voldemort,
she is part of the Order (the second coming anyway), she has plenty of  
courage, 
determination and level-headedness, she's been right there during all the  
major events
of Harry's life, from the moment he was brought to the Dursleys right  
through all his
school years. Additionally she is his head of house and thus  well-positioned 
to help
protect him and mold him toward his prophetic future (even though she  
strangely
maintains her emotional distance from Harry most of the time). She seems a 
natural choice for Dumbledore to confide in.
 
Yet, she's less of a confidante when it comes to Harry's welfare and to  Order
matters than is Snape, and probably several others (Lupin, Moody, Arthur  and
Molly, perhaps Hagrid). In fact, when it comes to the Order, we don't know  of
any specific task McGonagall performs, though most the other Order  members
are occupied in spying, making alliances, fashioning curses and  weapons for
the war, etc. Is McGongall just too focused on Hogwarts, either at her own 
insistence or on Dumbledore's orders?  Is it because she's more  useful 
there, 
or is it a way for Dumbledore to give the appearance that she is involved  in 
the
Order while not allowing her any significant role? Which leads to...
 
3. Why does Dumbledore never share any sensitive information with  McGonagall?
He evades her questions and gives half-answers from the first scene between 
them in front of the Durlseys house, right through HBP where she has no  idea
about any of Dumbledore's activities (the hand damage, the Horcrux hunt  with
Harry, the Prophecy, etc). Clearly Dumbledore parses out information on a  
need
to know basis, and most of the Order members don't know everything or even 
most of what is going on with Dumbledore. But is McGonagall the only one  who
seems to know *nothing*? 
 
4. Is McGonagall capable of being evil? Of all the adults she comes off as  
the
most straight-forward, with her no-nonsense style. She's never cryptic like 
Snape (or Dumbledore), nor is she secretive like Lupin. She's  very much a
"what you see is what you get" character (much like Hagrid). If she is  
outright
evil and in league with Voldemort, then she is putting on  one *incredible* 
act 
(she makes Snape look like a high-school amateur in comparison!). And  I
don't know if anyone can act that well for that long.
 
Yet, something seems strange about McGonagall. And the lack of  confidence
and full communication between two such old friends who seem to have  the same
goals as Dumbledore and McGonagall doesn't seem right either. Maybe  they
really aren't as close as seemed implied from the beginning, and as would  be 
natural from their long shared history and similar values. Maybe McGonagall  
is
so unimaginative and focused on Hogwarts that Dumbledore just doesn't  bother
with her. Maybe he's in love with her and is keeping her safe. Or  maybe he 
has 
reason to believe anything McGonagall learns will go straight to  Voldemort's
ears. 
 
It's that last one that intrigues me. What if it's true? What if all these  
years 
Dumbledore has known that any information he gives McGonagall will 
ultimately find its way to Voldemort? 
 
I know, this would presumably mean McGonagall is evil, and one  incredible
actor. Not to mention, why has Dumbledore allowed it to go on? I suppose  he
could be feeding her only as much as he wants Voldemort to know, but  why
even bother? He can have Snape do that. Not only is it hard for me to  fathom
an evil McGonagall who's pulled the wool over everyone's eyes for  *decades*,
it's hard to understand why Dumbledore wouldn't have taken her down  long
ago, let alone why he'd allow her to teach, and be Head of  House! 
 
So what's the alternative to ESE!McGonagall? ESE!McGonagall, of  course!
That is, ESE!--Ever-So-Enchanted!--McGonagall. A McGonagall who has  been
"enchanted" by Tom Riddle, perhaps since their school days. And here I  use
enchanted to mean she's been literally brainwashed or hynotized,  not that she
finds him so charming or fascinating that she'll willingly do anything for  
him. 
And while I could just say McGonagall is Imperioed, I think it's  more--or at
least *different*--than a simple Imperius. For one thing, I think it's  
possible
Dumbledore *knew* Voldemort hadn't died at Godric's Hollow because he
realized McGonagall was still under the enchantment, which Dumbledore 
detected at some point before Godric's Hollow--perhaps long before--and 
was able to monitor in some way. (I know the counter-argument here is 
that Dumbledore already knew about the Horcruxes, but this flies in  the face
of his assertion that Tom Riddle's diary in COS gave him the  first clue, and 
if
he did know so early, why wouldn't he have been hunting the Horcruxes  long
before Harry even started at Hogwarts?)
 
How does an Ever-So-Enchanted!McGonagall work for the story? It  explains
why Dumbledore doesn't seem to confide any vital information to her, yet 
seems determined to let her believe she *is* in the loop. And why he  hasn't
done anything to stop her. Because McGonagall doesn't KNOW she was
enchanted by Tom Riddle. She doesn't know she has (probably) betrayed
Order secrets to Voldemort before, and would do so again if the  opportunity
arose. Because McGonagall IS the upstanding wizard she appears to  be,
the fine teacher and Head of House (and perhaps soon-to-be  Headmaster)
who's dedicated her life to her students and their welfare, up to and  
including
seeing Voldemort defeated and the WW safe for all wizards again. And  
Dumbledore is determined to protect her from that  knowledge, that she is
Voldemort's puppet, which she can't change (and apparently he  can't
either, or he would have done so already). 
 
It explains that early scene in PS/SS at the Dursleys, and Harry in  HBP
keeping his word to Dumbledore not to tell *anyone* about the  Horcruxes,
even when McGonagall tries to get it out of him in the Headmaster's  office.
McGonagall wouldn't do anything consciously to hurt the Order or  Harry,
but she can't be trusted. And Dumbledore has known it all along.
 
It also provides a perfect tie-in between Tom Riddle and McGonagall,
something substantial related to their shared past for JKR to  exploit
while avoiding any supposed physical attraction between them during 
their school days--YUCK. Want to bet Minerva was one of the few 
female students impervious to Tom's charms? Yep, more irony!
 
Admittedly I haven't thought much about the exact nature of this
Enchantment/ultraImperius spell (though I have wondered if it could
be the spell whose title JKR was having trouble naming). Clearly it
would have to be focused on specific types of information McGonagall
might hear, or maybe on a certain object or even place that would  be
enchanted to elicit information from her, maybe at set times...
 
Well, I'll have to leave the mechanics to JKR! And to everyone here  to
start punching holes in this theory. Take your aim...
 
Julie
 
 
 
 


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