"He's been making us all look like complete idiots for a little over a week now.
Sirius looked at him with a confused expression.
With another sigh the auror explained, "Here's an example of what I mean: It was Lord Potter who suggested we send you an owl to contact you. He then saw one of my colleagues send a messenger Patronus to Madam Bones suggesting we send an owl to you. He'd never seen a Patronus used that way before; but, within moments, asked why we didn't send one of those to you.
"Then, after my colleague immediately sent a second Patronus to Madam Bones relaying that idea, he then asked why hadn't anyone sent a house elf to you carrying a note.
"The aurors had been trying to track you down for more than a year. We had our best minds on the problem for that whole time and your godson told us three different methods to get in contact with you, with the first and third also giving us a way to tag you with a locator, within only a few moments.
"I assure you, when the rest of us found out about it, we all felt like idiots. And, I've been reliably informed, so did Madam Bones."
"Ask Harry to show you how he completed the first task in that pensieve of his, some time," suggested Hermione. "He made the organisers of the event look like complete idiots then too. And he did it publicly, explaining what and why he was doing what he was doing at the time."
"Sirius... dear godfather..." said Harry. "Getting back to the original point... just because you won't be able to talk to me live, does not mean you won't be able to talk to me direct. You're the one who sent me one of those wonderful mirrors, right?"
"Oh, yeah," he replied. "I did do that, didn't I?"
Harry had to struggle not to face-palm himself again, but did groan.
The auror gave a snort of amusement. "See what I mean?"
"And, yes, I do want to see how you did in the first task," added Sirius. Ignoring the auror's question.
_β_
β==(oIo)==β
Λ
Once Sirius had left to head back to the Tonkses, Harry placed the parchment he'd been writing upon on the desk and rewrote the material he'd already written down into more of a statement form.
He gave it a heading, then wrote a single paragraph opening statement for it, then began writing down the facts about matters he knew to be true and how he felt Dumbledore had been trying to pass the blame for certain matters onto Hagrid or others...
~ # ~
[...]
It is my belief, based on many months, if not years, of thought on this matter, that Dumbledore specifically had me picked up from the cottage at Godric's Hollow so he could later claim, as he did today, that Mister Rubeus Hagrid must have misunderstood his orders; and blamed Mister Hagrid's status as a half-giant for that misunderstanding.
Irrespective of Dumbledore claiming he didn't order Mister Hagrid to deny handing me over to my rightful guardian and godfather, Sirius Black, it is very clear Dumbledore already had in place the steps to dump me at the Dursleys. He had Minerva McGonagall at the Dursley residence already, to keep an eye on them. And, as per her own trial evidence, he admitted to her it was his intention to leave me there, all along.
In this example, if I'm correct, what Dumbledore did is called 'blame-shifting'. I consider it a cowardly and despicable thing to do. He knew the Wizengamot would want someone to blame; so, often during his trial he verbally pointed his finger at Rubeus Hagrid so many would not point their fingers at he, Dumbledore, where I believe the blame truly lies.
Consider this: Of all the members of staff at Hogwarts at that time, excluding Binns who no one really considers a member of staff anyway, only Hagrid is banned from using a wand with Filch unable to use one. Mister Hagrid was sent and did not arrive all that long after the attack on the Potter cottage, so Dumbledore must have known the Potter cottage was or had just been attacked. And yet Dumbledore sent only Mister Hagrid; the only one from off his staff, besides Filch, who could not magically defend himself. Why didn't Dumbledore go himself? Why didn't Dumbledore take others with him? Was he willing to sacrifice Mister Hagrid based on a guess that there was no longer Voldemort or a Death Eater or two there? The 31st October 1981 was a Saturday night only two months into the new school year. The school was fully staffed at the time. Therefore, he had plenty of people to call on within the castle who could accompany him. And, yet, he did not.
Consider this too: If Mister Hagrid was so poor at following Dumbledore's directions why, on 30th July 1991, did he specifically ignore Hogwarts written procedures concerning who must be sent to pick up muggle-raised for their first visit to Diagon Alley, by having Mister Hagrid collect me from my relatives to (re)introduce me to the wizarding world; and not one of the four Heads of House, as he was rightfully required to do? The 30th July 1991 was a Tuesday. For Hogwarts, it was also the summer break, so there were no classes on. Three of the four Heads of House were out on that day and days either side of it visiting the homes of muggleborns and raised and escorting them for their first times to the magical world. Why, of all such children before and since in recent years, was I not escorted by a Head of House? Why Mister Hagrid, specifically? Was it yet another opportunity for Dumbledore to blame-shift onto Mister Hagrid?
Many wizarding Britons admire Dumbledore to the point of veneration. But, is he worthy of it? What came out during his trial today shows he isn't. Most recent wizarding History in magical Britain is written by Bathilda Bagshot. Did you know the Bagshots were both neighbours and close family friends of the Dumbledores in Godric's Hollow? Using that relationship, did Dumbledore ask Bagshot to write about him in a better light than what the unvarnished truth would show?
Do not be like the mindless sheep I think most wizarding Britons show themselves to be. Do not just accept something as true just because of one source. Do not just accept something to be true because someone tells you it is - even me. Think! Doubt! Question! Research!'
Lord Harrison James Potter
~ # ~
Harry managed to get that written down just in time for the two teens to return to the chamber. He had planned to leave the end open so he could add to it during the rest of the trial. However, he felt he'd written enough for the journalists that day and would write another for the next day if something new popped up in the second half of the trial.
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