DD not reacting to Hagrid's mention of Sirius?

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 184166

> mysterious_one1987:
> 
> In SS/PS, Hagrid turns up at Privet Drive with Harry,  <snip>
> Hagrid states that when he went to pick up Harry, he saw Sirius
> there and borrowed his motorbike.
> 
> Now, the Potters are already dead, and DD knows that a Fidelius
> Charm was put in place to protect their whereabouts from LV.
> Dumbledore also presumed that Sirius was the SK for the Potters,
> so it would follow that Dumbledore thinks, as everyone else does,
> that Sirius betrayed the Potters.  So why doesn't he react at all
> when Hagrid tells them that he saw Sirius?   <snip> 

Mike:
Because he's Dumbledore. Think back and you'll find that Dumbledore 
doesn't usually betray his feelings. The only time that comes to mind 
is the "gleam of triumph" in GoF. In that situation, you have a DD 
that's well aware of the properties of blood - 12 uses of dragon's 
blood, setting up Harry's blood protection - and realizes almost 
immediately what this means. DD knows by then that Harry has "a bit 
of Voldemort" in him. And though he has been raising Harry as a "pig 
for slaughter", he realizes immediately that Harry now has a chance 
to survive.

But this was a rarity for Dumbledore. Secretive is his byword and 
that usually includes his emotions and outward appearances. Besides 
which, what else is there to react to in this case. As you've said, 
Dumbledore had probably already worked out in his mind what had 
happened with regards to Sirius. He may not have expected Sirius to 
still have been at the Potters to meet Hagrid, but Sirius, the 
Potters' betrayer, was most likely fresh on his mind and the mention 
of his name would seem more natural than a shock.



> mysterious_one1987:
>
> but I do think that JKR would have mentioned SOMETHING, whether
> it be a look, a small movement, anything by DD here, as she
> usually employs these sorts of small details to hint at something
> much larger.

Mike:
Yes, this is a favorite trick of JKR's. It would have been nice if 
she had done it here. Though I think she thought just bringing 
Sirius's name into the conversation was a sufficient piece of 
foreshadowing. 

DD's gleam was a part of a very important plot motif that she must 
have had planned from the beginning. And this is the only time JKR 
hinted at the blood protection that was to eventually save Harry's 
life. That she had Dumbledore do it was natural, because only DD 
could have realized the significance of LV taking Harry's blood.

But remember, JKR also used those tiny movements as red herrings, or 
at least as things that led nowhere. Snape's reaction to Lucius 
Malfoy's name in GoF, Lily's almost smile at Sev's grey underpants in 
SWM, come to mind. 

So the mere fact that she had Hagrid mention Sirius's name was enough 
of a subtle hint. To have Dumbledore react to the name would have 
been overkill and may have taken on the air of a red herring in this 
case, IMHO. So JKR uses his name like she used the locket in OotP, 
throwing it out there as one amongst many names mentioned that night. 
Giving us the hint, not hitting us over the head with a bludger 
beater.

Mike