varying views of characters - The Seen and the Unseen

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 191051



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "annemehr" <annemehr at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bart@> wrote:
> >
> > kathy wrote:
> > > Sherry I agree with you. My attitude towards Dumbledore 
> > > changed after POA when he did nothing to help exonerate 
> > > Sirius while he was alive. 
> > > ...
> > 
> > Bart:
> > What indication did Dumbledore had that Sirius was innocent?
> > 
> > Bart
> >
> 
> Annemehr:
> 
> I'm sure she meant, after the events of PoA when DD had testimony that Peter Pettigrew was alive and had been the real spy.
>

Steve replies:

First you are assuming Dumbledore did nothing. I'm sure he made his case to the Ministry, but they were not holding the best attitude with regard to Dumbledore at the time, and I'm sure completely discounted his statements. 

Next, consider that government does not admit its mistakes readily, there are people sitting in prison, even though new evidence exonerates them, because the prosecutor is absolutely unwilling to admit he made a mistake. 

Next, eventually the Ministry did admit that Sirius was innocent, that that Peter was alive, though far too late for Sirius. In short, they finally excepted Dumbledore's explanation of the real events that occurred. You can show people the truth, but you can't make them believe it until the evidence is so crushingly overwhelming that to not believe would not be politically expedient. 

At to Sirius's conviction, remember, HE CONFESSED! There really is no need for much investigation when you have a suspect who confesses to a crime. Rather than continue to investigate, that is crime solved, game over. 

Just because something doesn't happen on the page, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. 

One must ask if the real problem is that Dumbledore didn't make his case, or if instead, it is that he didn't inform Harry that he made a case for Sirius. 

The POV of the narrator is Harry's point of view. If Harry doesn't know something, then we don't know that thing. And even more so, if Harry's beliefs are in error, then until the matter is rectified, our beliefs are in error paralleling Harry's. He is the Point of View character. We don't see Dumbledore make a case for Sirius because Harry doesn't see it, but just because Harry doesn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

Steve/bboyminn