Sirius Black and manic depression

[brooksindy]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C7515
From: brooksindy
Subject: Re: Sirius Black and manic depression
Reply To: [Yahoo! #7511] Sirius Black and manic depression
Date: 8/22/00 2:23 am  (ET)

I've just re-read Black's description of his escape and it actually does
make sense - he was basically almost as depressed as a dog as when he
was a person, and could not muster the mental energy to even try - which
is definitely a symptom of depression. Besides the Dementors pretty much
can count, even if they don't exactly think - they would have missed him
immediately - it was the fact that he had a mission which confused them
as much as being a dog, I think.

I tried to read as many Dementor passages as I could just now too and I
came to the conclusion that the Good Guys may be too optimistic - the
Dementors are ALREADY on Voldy's side - which is why they went after
Harry during the Pettigrew/Sirius/Lupin fiasco - they are just biding
their time for him to reappear.

It DOES appear to me that it really was Sirius who slashed the Fat
Lady, because he was indeed breaking in to look for Scabbers. And,
the conversation in the Three Broomstick McGonagall says that Black and
Potter were Ringleaders of their little gang, and it is a not unreasonable
aspect of the conversation that they don't mention Lupin.

One other point - not all depression is Manic depression; I don't think
Sirius went into a manic phase but rather discovered that there was
something he HAD to do to help Harry - which dragged him up from the
depths and forced him to find the mental energy to do something.