Character Summary - Sirius (is sexy) Black

[meboriqua at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 13476

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Carole Estes" <lrcjestes at e...> wrote:
> I've done this summary three time now...one with way too much 
detail, one
> with way too little detail...then Randy's just made me laugh...OK I 
know
> this is really late and it will probably run up against next weeks, 
but here
> goes.
> 
> What to say about this delectable character.  I'll try to stay as 
close to
> canon as possible and not stray into fanfic impressions (hmmm...this 
is
> going to be difficult)
> 
> Sirius Black
> AKA The Prisoner of Azkaban
> AKA Padfoot
> AKA Snuffles
> 
> Chronologically:
> 
> He attended Hogwarts and was best friends with James, Lily, and 
Remus.  We
> think he must have been at Hogwarts sometime in the seventies.  
While there
> he was a trouble maker along with James but described as 
exceptionally
> bright.  He proves this by becoming an unregistered Animagi in his 
5th year
> with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew in order to keep Remus company 
on the
> full moon. He's a Marauder, and pulled a prank on Snape we still 
don't quite
> know the
> reason for or all the details of.  He and Snape despise each other.
> 
> He had a really cool motorcycle that he enchanted to fly. He was 
best man at
> James and Lily's wedding.  He was described as handsome and full of 
laughter
> in a wedding photo Harry has of his parents and Sirius.  He decided 
to
> convince James and Lily to switch secret keepers for their Fidelius 
charm.
> He saw the wreckage of their house and set out to find Peter.  They 
found
> each other on a London street, Peter blew up the place and left him 
to not
> only take the blame for that incident, but for James and Lily's 
betrayal and
> death as well.
> 
> He's spent 12 years in Azkaban, but the dementors didn't drive him 
insane.
> 
> He's the only prisoner to have escaped from Azkaban without 
assistance (we
> learn Crouch, Jr. was removed by his father).  And spends the better 
part of
> his first year of freedom lurking about Hogwarts waiting for an 
opportunity
> to seek revenge on Scabbers.  He nearly gets caught, gets away and 
goes
> someplace tropical on Buckbeak.
> 
> He's Harry's godfather.  It seems to be a responsibility he takes 
very
> seriously.  We see a lot of letters from him to Harry and he makes 
three
> appearances in GoF.  He's looking and behaving better in GoF, 
although near
> the end he's back to living in caves with a hippogriff and eating 
rats.
> 
> So who is he.  He's universally feared in the wizard community.  He 
seems to
> care very deeply about and is loyal to his friends.  Despite being 
thought
> to have gone to the dark side he is very much against the Dark Arts 
and
> those that practice them.
> 
> A short personal interpretation based on canon:
> 
> Monika and I have spent reams of emails discussing Sirius' character 
and
> picking up details about his behavior from the books.  We believe a 
lot of
> the volatility he displays in PoA is not necessarily a character 
trait but
> can be attributed to a latent and rather severe case of 
post-traumatic
> stress disorder.  This is not to say that his behavior in some parts 
of PoA,
> such as slashing the fat lady, and slashing Ron's bed hangings, 
should be
> excused because of this. However, this perspective instead gives a 
different
> light to his core personality, if volatility is not a trait he had 
before
> the trauma.
> 
> Okay so now for the questions:
> 
> 1. How did he survive with his brain intact in Azkaban all those 
years?
> 
> 2. Do you think volatility is a character trait or a symptom?
> 
> 3. Would he really make a good parent to Harry or would that 
relationship
> falter if it was too close (so far Sirius has been there for advice 
but
> hasn't had to play an authority figure to Harry yet)?
> 
> 4.  Why do a large part of the HP fandom think he's sexy (besides 
the fact
> that JKR said so...actually when asked if he was supposed to be dead 
sexy,
> JKR said yes.)?  What is it about his personality that is or is not
> attractive?
> 
> 5. With apologies to Monika, who just wrote to me and asked this 
question
> this morning and I thought it was so good I included it....don't you 
think
> it's a bit weird that Dumbledore sends Sirius to alert everyone? 
What will
> they think when the escaped murderer knocks at their door?

Hi!

I really liked your analysis of Sirius Black (of course, I always like 
analysis, as I am a high school teacher!).  I'm kind of thinking and 
writing at the same time here, so bear with me while I struggle 
through my response.

How did Sirius survive Azkaban with his brain intact?  He actually 
explained it to Harry in PoA: he knew he was innocent, which wasn't a 
happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of him.  I 
understand that, too; when you just know you are right and someone 
else is wrong and you're waiting for light to be shed.  He probably 
focused all of his energy on remembering his innocence and planning 
his escape (though how a skinny dog swam across the North Sea is 
beyond me).

I never really thought of Sirius' appeal, but I certainly understand 
that, too.  He's the rebel type who fights for what's right and stands 
up to those in power (the dementors, saying Voldemort's name unafraid, 
etc).  He has that "misunderstood" quality about him that just makes 
you want to help him, you know?  I also picture him a bit dark and 
brooding - and I personally like those dark and brooding types (my 
sweetie is a dark haired man and quite sexy, if I do say so myself!).  
If he was your man, you know he'd do anything in his power to protect 
you.  The fact that he does have a paternalistic side to him is also 
very nice, as he is so concerned with Harry's safety and general well 
being - he's not all hardened and cold.  All in all, he's a good man.

I think that Dumbledore sent Sirius out because I suppose (?) that 
those who were close to Sirius when he was younger will still believe 
in and trust him... but I also think he'll first go to Lupin (who I 
adore) and they'll figure out together how to approach "the old 
crowd".

Sirius has also a kind of reckless freedom that we don't have, because 
in many ways he's invisible to the public.  He can roam the 
countryside as a dog and has no job, no permanent residence, no bills 
to pay... he's all about fighting and exposing the bad and supporting 
the good.  I like that!  I LOVE that Harry now has someone like Sirius 
in his life, too because he's been so downtrodden.  Sirius boosts him 
up and no one deserves that more than Harry.

Sorry for rambling - I could talk