Harry Potter Fans: McGonagall a Spy?

[masteroftrouble]

I just read the most amazing thing. And now? I'm going to pass it to you. Why? Because I want to get thoughts on this.

[EDIT]The article that brought this up is here![/EDIT]

Comments

[neversleeps]

That has to be to coolest theory ever. And if it's true, I will laugh so hard.

[masteroftrouble]

XD Oh it would!

OHOH! Do you have the first book around anywhere? I want to check something, but I don't have mine...

[masteroftrouble]

I got it from Neo XD but I wanted to look up the Halloween scene.

The first people to arrive at the bathroom were as follows (mentioned in the order JKR mentioned them):

McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell.

I thought I had remembered it correctly and I did. But isn't it a bit odd that she showed up with them? Two people working for Voldemort (even though we only knew of one so far)?

[masteroftrouble]

OMG I KNOW! I've been thinking about it all day and it's down to "maybe, maybe not" but when I first read it I was all "OMFG THEY ARE SO RIGHT!"

I highly doubt JKR will explain things as well as she needs to, but we'll see.

[masteroftrouble]

You mean like this one by exitsign:

[im_an_aaangel]

Substitute Voldemort for “he” in that sentence and listen to the implications - a bit shocking how easy that was, isn’t it?

Actually, this doesn't make much sense to me.. "but" Voldemort trusted Snape? Why the "but", if he killed Dumbledore?

[masteroftrouble]

The sentence itself is jumbled and mixed up. So McG's real meaning in that might not ever be know. The implication is there, though; Voldemort trusted someone. Draco? Or maybe he trusted Snape to stay out of it?

Or maybe it would mean face value: Dumbledore trusted Snape.

Then again, that delves into the "did Snape and Dumbledore plan out Dumbledore's death" theory, too.

[citharadraconis]

I think they mean something like:

“Snape...We all wondered [about his loyalty to the Dark Lord, we thought he'd never go through with it]... but [Voldemort] trusted [him]... always... Snape... I can’t believe [that he's really on our side]...”

Similar to Bellatrix's incredulity and wonder when he goes through with the Unbreakable Vow. So it actually does make some sort of sense

Though if this is the case, McGonagall's wrong--in GoF Voldemort says he believes Snape "has left [him] forever," so clearly he had very serious doubts about Snape's loyalty. Besides, I don't think it's in Voldemort's nature to maintain steadfast trust in anyone.

All things considered, a very interesting and well-thought-out essay, though it doesn't quite have me convinced. :D

[citharadraconis]

Although (devil's advocate, yay!) it could be argued that McGonagall wasn't at the scene in GoF (she has to keep up her front, after all) and thus wouldn't have heard him doubt Snape, at least not firsthand. But I imagine there would have been no lack of rumors and gossip among the Death Eaters about it.

[masteroftrouble]

If you were a spy, wouldn't you want to seal your position as the "good guy" by putting up a front? Ultimately -- a front that gives people no doubt of your "good" intentions? The nice interacting could very well be a cover.

Not saying it is, mind you. Good spies put up the best cover by taking on a different persona and being who people around them want them to be. McG is a Gryff, people expect her (because of her house) to be good and whatnot. Therefore, as a spy, she's good... while Snape comes off as a bastard because he's "evil" (again, due to his house).

And Narcissa is a perfect example.

[ficlette]

Perhaps the fact that she appears at Privet Drive that fateful day before Dumbledore. The fact that he was not anticipating her arrival, although it “amused” him. Process that. Dumbledore didn’t send McGonagall to Privet Drive. So what was McGonagall doing all day - the most important day in Wizarding history - sitting on a stone wall? Especially when we find out that she had no idea that Harry was arriving there. How did she know that Dumbledore was going to be at Privet Drive - or did she even know? And if she didn’t know, why was she there?

Well. I picked up my trusty copy of PS for this, and the incident in question says this:

[Dumbykins sees cat!McG] "For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."

So, right. It's obvious there that he didn't send her there, that much is clear. But he doesn't seemed to be too disturbed by the fact that she is, and later it's as follows:

"Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way

[masteroftrouble]

I agree that the whole argument for the "omg she was totally at the house before Dumbly!" is weak. That part is all "... um okay?"

Then again, two questions are raised:

1-Where did McG see Hagrid? I mean, she had been at the house since the morning, as stated by Vernon's POV (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong). When did she have time to run to the Potter's destroyed house and/or track down Hagrid. And, if she DID see Hagrid, why didn't she take Harry to the Dursley's house?

2-Why didn't Dumbledore tell her? She's his second in command, surely he'd owl her and let her know what he was doing, right? "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?" Dumbly obviously didn't tell her, she showed up (when she could have very well either waited or showed up with Harry), and she very well could have been spying for Voldie by seeing if Dumbly would bring Harry there. Voldie had to of known about Lily's relatives

[ficlette]

Those are good questions, and hard to look about since we don't get the POVs of all these delicious side characters. Although it occurs to me that if Dumbledore brought up Hagrid it means that sometime in between the time in which Harry was discovered alone in the house to Dumbledore getting to the Dursley's the two must have met, or at least spoken - with the timeline unclear and the who's and what's of post-Potters Godric's Hollow left unanswered, it's hard to say really anything about happens directly before canon begins. Who knows what everyone was doing. Maybe Hagrid and McG were haing tea and rock cakes in his cabin when Dumbly Floo-called to tell him to meet Sirius, pick up Harry, ps here's the address of a random Muggle house, then Hagrid turned around and told her. The point is that we really don't know, so jumping to these sudden conclusions is just a little off to me. As to the second-in-command thing, that doesn't necessarily stand. This all happened in a 24-hour period, and it's wartime. Voldy's just defeated. The point

[masteroftrouble]

I think the first book, if JKR had the chance, would be rewritten. She's admitted to a lot of holes in that over the years and those holes is what drives these theories.

Also-- Sirius shows up after Hagrid does:
"It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, 'an his parents dead...an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flying' motorbike he used to ride. Never occurred to me what he was doin' there..."

Found it here. This was also written before JKR's corrected version of the fourth book came out and then a note was added saying so. Still, it would have been the BEST twist ever.

XD Hagrid dressing up Harry makes me thing of Harry POwned. ("I'm a big, big girl in a big, big world lalalala" XD)

I KNOW! That's why I was so very excited to have a chance to DE-ify a Weasley on the Vu. Even though George didn't want to be a DE, he still was. I LOVE making the Weasleys (any of them) part of Voldie's crew.