Sirius' anger (long)

[Emma Moniz]

No: HPFGUIDX 20922

> <lots of good points made by Monika snipped>
> 
> I agree with this.  I think that sending Snape to the Whomping 
Willow was an immature teenage prank, in which the ramifications 
hadn't properly been thought through.  On to Sirius in PoA, everyone 
has debated at length why he slashed the Fat Lady etc.  I am pretty 
sure that it is a case of PTSD, but I would go further and say that 
current circumstances were also at play here, making Sirius even more 
angry and frustrated.  He has spent 12 years in Azkaban for something 
he didn't do, although he does feel responsible for the death of Lily 
and James, so guilt is a factor here as well.  He knows that Wormtail 
is alive and close to Harry - giving him the impetous to escape, as 
he a) wants to protect Harry b) bring Wormtail to justice (by killing 
him, I know, but the law hasn't served Sirius very well, so this 
vigilantism seems here to be almost reasonable and c) on some level 
he wants to atone - assuage his guilt over James and Lily by 
protecting their son.  

I'm going to add in my two bits here, but I think it's possible that 
there is a tinge of Suvivor Syndrome tossed in there to magnify 
everything.  Sirius, at that time, was the only one who knew the 
truth of how James and Lilly died.  And he knew about Peter's 
betrayal, as James and Lilly must have moments before they died.  For 
many people, there is an incredible sense of guilt established by 
surviving a situation when people dear to the subject do not.  This 
guilt has to be amazing, considering everything Sirius has endured.  
I'd say some of his outbursts are relevant to Survivor Syndrome.  So 
yes, pretty much the same, but giving it a name.  I tend to think 
names are very important.

One has to wonder what dear Remus was thinking when all of this went 
down.  I'm sure it's been covered, but I could analyse my favourite 
werewolf until doomsday and never tire of it....

~Emma