[HPforGrownups] When Harry meets Black (PoA)

[Monika Huebner]

No: HPFGUIDX 32270


> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., mlacats at a... wrote:
> In a message dated 12/18/2001 8:22:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
> aaronmjfisher at y... writes:
> 
> 
> > 
> > I'm puzzled by two things in this chapter (Cat, Rat & Dog):
> > 
> > SPOILER ALERT!

I think we don't need spoilers on this list, everyone is supposed to have
read all four books before joining, right?

> I've pondered the very same questions as you.  The only explanation I 
> can 
> come up with as to why Sirius appreared to be strangling Harry was 
> that he 
> was trying to push Harry away from him and, at the same time, was 
> frustrated 
> because he wanted to get at Petigrew. 

All this has already been discussed several times, but I can understand
that newbies don't want to browse through more than 30.000 (!)
messages... A while ago, I brought up the theory that Sirius is suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and this incident can be
perfectly explained by this. There are two things that come together here,
1) Harry attacks Sirius, 2) this attack prevented him to get at Pettigrew.
If you have PTSD, you are stuck in an ancient defense mechanism that
has been activated by some traumatic event (in Sirius' case the deaths
of James and Lily and the years in Azkaban), and that hasn't shut down after
the threat was over. Please note that this so-called fight and flight mechanism
is a *reflex*, and therefore uncontrollable. So, what happened is that
Sirius was attacked, and he automatically reacted to it, no matter who
the attacker might be. I'm sure he didn't even get it at this precise moment,
he only realized later what he had just done. Remember that, after Lupin
turned up, he went to sit on the bed and didn't give word for quite some
time, and he was shaking. I'd say that this reaction was very likely caused
by his disorder, at least this would make a lot of sense.

> We do know that Sirius has a temper and can be 
> impulsive, so I 
> guess he was reacting out of frustration, not really intending to 
> hurt Harry. 
>  It is a little bothersome though.

It is indeed at first sight, but don't forget that someone who has been
tortured for years won't react like a healthy person. As for his temper,
it is very likely a symptom, too, although he might very well have a
shorter fuse than Lupin. But the fits of rage we witness in PoA are pretty
classic for post-traumatic stress disorder. And look at him in GoF, when
he has had the time to recover a bit over the summer. He gives the 
impression of someone thoughtful rather than of a jerk who uses to
have temper tantrums. It makes a lot of sense IMO.

> As for the question on how was Harry going to kill Sirius.......that 
> one 
> bothers me too.....no answer for that one.  Maybe, he was going to do 
> Stupefy......but then what!?  Any other ideas????

I think Rita had some very, er, nice ideas about this that made me
shudder. Harry already knows a few hexes that could at least shatter
Sirius' bones, but I think he only learns Stupefy in GoF if I remember well.

Monika

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