[HPforGrownups] Re: Sirius' and Ron's temper / Snape thoughts

[Monika Huebner]

No: HPFGUIDX 20900

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vicky Ra [mailto:andromache815 at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 12:41 PM
 
> I didn't take it as a rant. You're just defending Sirius, which is perfectly
> natural. I'm sorry. It's just, I tend to liken him to Ron, and for the
> record, I don't much like Ron, either, so...it's somewhat fair...You're
> right about no evidence so far of Sirius' maturity or lack thereof in canon.

Well, let me add a bit to Devika's rant... We had an interesting discussion
a while ago about the similarities between the marauders and H/R/H. I
was one of those who didn't think that Sirius and Ron were much alike.
I don't want to repeat it all here, but Ron's temper is something entirely
different from Sirius' temper (IMHO). Suffice to say that I think that
Ron is just still a bit immature and has been overshadowed by his
brothers all his life. I *really* hope he will mature soon because I like
him, and at least at the moment, I don't mind it too much. Now, Sirius.
It seems that he was quite immature at 16 when he told Snape about
the Whomping Willow (but he did *not* drag him into the tunnel,
Snape's own behavior was just as immature, let's face it), but I am
still convinced that Sirius' violent outbursts in PoA have
*nothing* to do with overall poor impulse control. (If I bore you,
just don't read on.) They look way more like a pretty classic symptom
of post-traumatic stress disorder. I'd like to see the individual that
would go through what Sirius has gone through and get away 
without being traumatized. But then, I might be biased because he
is my favorite. I just can't see him as a violent git, and the fact that
he didn't lose it any more in GoF after recovering for a few months
seems to corroborate the theory that his losing control is more
likely a symptom of PTSD than a character trait.

> He and Snape are similar in their stubbornness and
> vindictiveness against one another, for reasons yet unknown. There's gotta
> be more to it than the werewolf trick. 

I have to agree here. It always struck me as not being enough to
even think about handing someone over to the dementors. I hope we
will learn more about it in future books.

> Despite
> all these similarities, I favor Snape. Anyone have any guesses as to why? He
> seems the more evil of the two.

Hm, I don't know if Snape is really evil (I hate him heartily, but I have
the impression that he is just a bitter man, why this is, we don't know yet.)
But Sirius is definitely *not* evil IMO. And I am convinced that he wouldn't
even think of killing Snape even if there hadn't been this stupid handshake
ordered by Dumbledore. He still hates Snape, that's true, but he's not
interested in killing him, he wouldn't go looking for him. 

[About Snape]
> What maturation process? He's petty and malicious, but he's on the right
> side.

I think so, too, but Snape is pretty immature IMO. Look at the way he always
picks on those who are weaker than him and not likely to defend 
themselves. The way he treats Harry, and the way he treats Hermione.
I don't know if I will ever forgive him the comment he made about
Hermione's teeth or threatening Harry with the truth potion. And I
doubt he would have threatened Sirius with the dementor's kiss in the
Shrieking Shack if Sirius had been his equal, I mean if he would have
been able to defend himself with a wand. I always thought that
Snape was being sadistic, he could have just put a full body bind on
Sirius and bring him in. But no, he first threatened to Avada Kedavra
someone who didn't have a wand to duel, and because this still wasn't
enough, he threatened his arch-enemy with the dementor's kiss just
for the pleasure to see the fear on his face. Not very mature indeed,
don't you think so?

Monika

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