When Hagrid shows up, in Chapter 1:

"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At lasst. and where did you get that motorbike?"

"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carfully off the motorbike as he spoke."Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."

"No problems, were there?"

And that's it. Dumbledore 'knows' that Sirius betrayed James and Lily, and, yet, that's a completely neutral reaction to the reference. The whole timeline of the 24 hours immediately preceding that scene are weird, so it's just another data point of oddness.

I've always heard the fannish interpretation of that line to mean that Dumbledore was already aware of Sirius' innocence at that point.

That he just allowed him to be incarcerated etc for his own purposes, I guess.

Or that since he couldn't prove it, so he couldn't prevent it, yeah.

That he just allowed him to be incarcerated etc for his own purposes, I guess.

Dumbledore has a tendency to keep his own council. Plus there's the whole proof thing.

I don't put it past the old man to have his own reasons for things.

Quick question: Need some good anti-racist poetry. Can you either post links to or post/email quotes from good anti-racist poems and lyrics?

We can start with "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" by the Dead Kennedys.

"Nazi Punks Fuck Off"


Punk ain't no religious cult
Punk means thinking for yourself
You ain't hardcore cos you spike your hair
When a jock still lives inside your head


Nazi punks
Nazi punks
Nazi punks-Fuck Off!


Nazi punks
Nazi punks
Nazi punks-Fuck Off!


If you've come to fight, get outa here
You ain't no better than the bouncers
We ain't trying to be police
When you ape the cops it ain't anarchy


[Repeat chorus]


Ten guys jump one, what a man
You fight each other, the police state wins
Stab your backs when you trash our halls
Trash a bank if you've got real balls


You still think swastikas look cool
The real nazis run your schools
They're coaches, businessmen and cops
In a real fourth reich you'll be the first to go


[Repeat chorus]


You'll be the first to go
You'll be the first to go
You'll be the first to go
Unless you think

"Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants

This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend


It was the loveliest party that I've ever attended
If anything was broken I'm sure it could be mended
My head can't tolerate this bobbing and pretending
Listen to some bullet-head and the madness that he's saying


This is where the party ends
I'll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
You and your racist friend


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend


Out from the kitchen to the bedroom to the hallway
Your friend apologizes, he could see it my way
He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking
Can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend
This is where the party ends
I can't stand here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend


It was the loveliest party
That I've ever attended
If anything got broken
I'm sure it could be mended
But my head can't stand this bobbin' and pretendin'
Tolerate some bullethead and the bullshit that he's sayin'


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to your
Your racist friend
This is where the party ends
I'll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend


It was the loveliest party
That I've ever attended
If anything got broken
I'm sure it could be mended
My head can't stand this bobbin', sittin' and pretendin'
Tolerate some bullethead and the bullshit that he's sayin'


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to your
Your racist friend
This is where the party ends
I'll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend


This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to your
Your racist friend
This is where the party ends
I'll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend


This is where the party ends
This is where the party ends

"Less Than Zero" - Elvis Costello

Calling Mister Oswald with the swastika tattoo,
there is a vacancy waiting in the English voodoo,
carving "v" for vandal on the guilty boy's head.
When he's had enough of that maybe you'll take him to bed
to teach him he's alive before he wishes he was dead.
Turn up the TV. No one listening will suspect,
even your mother won't detect it,
no your father won't know.
they think that I've got no respect
but everything means less than zero.
Hey, ooh hey, hey, ooh hey.


Oswald and his sister are doing it again.
They've got the finest home movies that you have ever seen.
They've got a thousand variations: every service with a smile.
They're gonna take a little break, and they'll be back after a while.
well I hear that South America is coming into style.


chorus


A pistol was still smoking, a man lay on the floor.
Mister Oswald said he had an understanding with the law.
He said he heard about a couple living in the USA.
He said they traded in their baby for a Chevrolet.
Let's talk about the future now we've put that past away.

"Anti Nazi Song" - Chumbawumba

We're told that after the war
The Nazis vanished without a trace
But the Italians are facist
Still dream of a master race


The history books they tell
Of their defeat at '45
But they all came out of the woodwork
On the day the Nazi died


They say the prisoner at Spandau
Was a symbol of defeat
Whilst Hess remained imprisoned
And the facists; they were beat


So the promise of an Aryan world
Would never materialize
So why did they all come out of the woodwork
On the day the Nazi died


The world is riddled with maggots
The maggots are getting fat
They're making a tasty meal of all
The bosses and bureaucrats


They're taking over the boardrooms
And they're fat and full of pride
And they all came out of the woodwork
On the day the Nazi died


So if you meet with these historians
I'll tell you what to say
Tell them that the Nazis
Never really went away


They're out there burning houses down
And peddling racist lies


And we'll never rest again...
Until every Nazi dies...