[HPforGrownups] Sirius and Snape (again) + who is doomed

[Marianna Lvovsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 22333

> Hallelujah, thank you Koinonia for pointing out
> something that has 
> been bothering me ever since I read PoA and ever
> since I found out 
> about the collective Sirius adoration doing the
> rounds. Not that I 
> have anything against Sirius fans, and we all know
> some of the best 
> HP fanfics are Sirius-centered, but I just can't
> stand this 
> whole "I'm better looking than you, I'm more popular
> than you, I'm 
> better than you" mentality that seems to emanate
> whenever the actions 
> of Mr.Black are discussed. Sirius sends Severus to
> either death or 
> permanent hell and all is forgiven, but Snape (stil
> believing that 
> Sirius is guilty) attempts to do the same thing and
> he's pillored. 
> Over-reacting? Come on! Haven't you read/seen
> "Carrie"?
> 

First of all, I have to point out that becoming a
werewolf, unpleasant as it undoubtedly is, is still
better that having your soul permanently sucked out. A
werewolf goes mad only once a month. Once the dementor
kissed you, you are the Magic equivalent of a
vegetable/brain-dead.

Now onto Sirius/Snape. I find both of them intriguing
(though it is hard to forgive Snape for being so
horrible to children like Neville). What Black did was
wrong. Unless there was something else going on that
JKR isn't saying, he should have been expelled for
such an action. (I do think there was something else
going on, since he wasn't. Even his being punished
isn't mentioned). 

However, even though it was a deeply thoughtless and
brainless thing to do, I doubt it was a result of a
deliberate plan to either kill Snape or turn him into
a werewolf. While Sirius may be reckless/has a temper,
he is a decent person: he was loyal to his friends,
tried to save Harry, fought Voldie, and the only
person who there is clear evidence he tried to kill
deliberately is PP, who deserves it if anyone in HP
does. Not exactly a profile of someone who would
deliberately try to murder an obnoxious, nosy, but not
deeply-evil-a-la-Wormatail student.

Now on to Snape: There are a variety of reasons why I
find his desire for Dementors to kiss Sirius more
disturbing. It is deliberate, on-purpose desire to
kill, expressed by an adult, not a thoughtless prank
done when a teenager. I would find any character's
eagerness to feed another character to dementors very
disturbing. 

Also, if Snape was a teenager, his going off-the-wall
might be reasonable. But the idea of killing someone
for something that occured around 20 years ago, did
not after all cause you any harm does not show a well
balanced individual. (even if Snape does think Sirius
tried to get him killed). More importantly, Snape gets
so carried away by his passions he is incapable of
logical thinking: if Harry, whose parents Sirius
supposedly killed, seems to want to listen to him etc
etc, I think Snape should at least be
puzzled/interested/suspicious, and listen to Black's
story before feeding him to dementors. It seems with
Snape that when feelings take over he loses all
ability to reason. A very dangerous quality for future
books, IMO. Especially for a spy.

Overall, I think both Snape and Sirius were very less
than perfect when they commited their acts against
each other. However, Sirius' is far in the past and
thoughtless while Snape's is (relatively) in the
present and thought-through.

As to Lupin: I see no problem with having a werewolf
on the staff: he turns once a month only, and there is
wolfsbane potion which makes him harmless even then.
Of course there is a risk: there is always a risk. To
take a parallel with AIDS/lycantropy: there are always
risks. However, when there is an infinitecimal risk,
it is worth defying to give another person a chance at
a normal life.

Marsha/Marianna

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