A question for those of the Girl that Didn't Just Live this time. Big one. · 11:05pm May 11th, 2023
Hello.
I'll make this short and sweet... or possibly long, I never really know how much I have to say until I say it.
Simply put, I'm working on rewriting Chapter 22 of The Girl who Didn't Just Live. As in the old version, Rita is discovering the Black Injustice... and at this point in the story, Dumbledore has been... possibly well-meaning, but also a heavy manipulator. Especially in the rewrite, where he still doesn't know who the Royals are, and so is still trying to form plan after plan.
The question is:
Who should take the fall for putting Black in Azkaban without trial?
Do you want a Good Dumbledore that fought against it (and failed to see him justice), or an Evil Dumbledore that caused (or participated in) the injustice?
Do you want everything to keep going well for our heroes, which would let the story continue converging towards a 'happy ending' where everything is going well and Dumbledore is still in power, or would you like to overturn their world with news of Dumbledore's less-than-honestness, and start a chain reaction to reveal and deal with the darker elements in a less polite way, but also not overly violent (or abrupt) for fear of breaking the wizarding government far enough apart to require the revelation of a Royal? Though there are Royals in the story, by this point, that could and very possibly would reveal themselves like that, without upending the story...
What do you think? Shall I keep the story on a utopian "good-swing", or throw in a thread of darkness to keep things interesting?
At the point that I'm writing right now... it could go either way. All that has to happen is that Rita says Dumbledore's name was on the order to send Sirius to Azkaban sans trial, or that someone else's was, and that'll kick the story down either path. Just because the Royals "came out" in support of Dumbledore in that office scene a few chapters back doesn't mean they can't rescind that support just as easily.
Preference?
Darkness darkness darkness come on join the chant, darkness darkness darkness
there is no question here even in the book's it was Dumbledore who blocked it and or never tried to help and Black was a member of the order of the phoenix.
Evil Dumbledore all the way he needs burnt to the ground.
Can't have a good story without some conflict. Heroic characters who do/have done villainous deeds are a good source of conflict and story. Villains masquerading as heroes are an even better source of conflict and story.
Gratuitous Dumbledore bashing must commence.
I can kind of see both reasons for doing either option... I'd say maybe have Dumbledore be exposed as the one who sent him there. Even in the original books he didn't stick up for Sirius at the very least as a character witness, which you'd think he'd be inclined to do if he was so fond of the Mauraders
Dumbledore is not evil, he's just human that makes many mistakes in his life, but tries to do the right things, and about Sirius, I don't think that Dumbledore knows, that Sirius was innocent, and thinks that he gets fair punished, making Dumbledore evil just unfair.
I think Dumbledore should have actually thought that Sirius had been guilty and that if he had known the truth he would have done everything he could to help Sirius remain out of prison.
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But... no trial? That's a pretty egregious violation of due process, and it's hard to construe him not pushing for a trial to be anything but evil.
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But the trial was, and on it was established that Sirius is guilty, sadly, we do not know what happens during the trial.
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It's explicitly stated in the books (by Black himself) that there was no trial, even though Dumbledore said he himself "submitted evidence" that Sirius was the secret keeper.
Well there was no trial for black and well:
Order of the Phoenix Ch 37: Dumbledore to Harry: "Five years ago you arrived at Hogwarts, Harry, safe and whole, as I had planned and intended. Well - not quite whole. You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years."
Looks like this hole ting was planned more or less by Dumbledore including the abuse.
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In this you right, it was my mistake.
But about Dumbledore, he believed that Sirius traitor, and evidence of it was enough to believe in that, if we said that Dumbledore evil because he's not pushing for trial, than all others who no push for trial evil too?
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The point being, did Dumbledore really believe Sirius a traitor?
If he did, GoodButImmoral!Dumbledore. Why immoral? Because he would've had to sign off on the Azkaban order (and lack of trial), so he was in a position to force there to be a trial.
If not, and he was only pretending, Evil!Dumbledore.
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The thing is Dumbledore made so many mistakes, some of them very aware that they will cause suffering or death.
Add to it what is motto is "For the greater good" the same as Grindelwald.
And he newer said for hum the greater good, definitly not for the muggle borns or half bloods,
the evidence show how he interacts with people or what he as done it is for the pure bloods greater good.
Beside he is during court the jugde, so this means he accepted the imperius defence.
He could have easly arenged a trial for Sirius during the summer after the third year or during fourth year,
i mean he is the Chief Warlock of the Wizgamot.
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politics.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯