Underage/misuse of magic (was Re: Percy and Pyramids)

[June Ewing]

No: HPFGUIDX 190153

> Annemehr:
> <snip> And it's not quite true that "they" didn't believe the
story about the dementors since Umbridge is the one who sent them.
> No one else knew that, but she certainly did.
>
> But what was really going on was that Harry was being railroaded.
Fudge wanted him expelled and silenced so he wouldn't spread panic
about Voldemort being back. The trial was a sham. Since underage
wizards *are* allowed to use magic in an emergency, they could not
afford to admit to the possibility of dementors in the area. It
had nothing to do with finding the truth. That's why Dumbledore
had to have Arabella Figg lie about seeing the dementors -- to
provide and "eyewitness" account that tipped the scales to justice
> for Harry.
>
> I actually really like that scene. Arabella recognized from her
feelings that there were dementors there, and knew Harry was
perfectly innocent and had done very well, but to really convince
a majority to vote with Harry and prevent a terrible injustice,
she felt she had to add a lie. It's a nice illustration of the
dilemma that can come up between doing the right thing and following
> a set of rules (no matter how much you believe in them generally).


June:
I don't think she lied. I reread the chapters involved here and I
think it could be taken either way depending on how the reader sees
it but I think she did see the Dementors as they were gliding away
from Harry and Dudley and what she said in court was the truth. Look
at it this way. Mrs. Figg is a squib and there are lots of wizards
and witches at this point still who believe in Dumbledore. If he
wanted someone to lie on the stand I would expect he would have
gotten a witch or wizard and possibly more than one witness. Also
Umbridge was the only person who knew the dementors where there
because as you (rightfully) said she had sent them after Harry. The
rest of the council had no idea what had happened and did not believe
him, however as I believe you also mentioned they did want him out of
the way and since Fudge had no problem with believing him in the past
it would make sense that he didn't believe him because he didn't want
to believe him. I believe it is mentioned somewhere in the book that
to believe Harry was to accept that Voldemort was back and no one
wanted that.