in defense of sirius black

[Carole Estes]

No: HPFGUIDX 14393

As Penny stated I just can't help stepping up to the plate.  As you read
this keep in mind Sirius is my favorite character and I am not a snape fan
to say the least....so I may be biased but have spent a great deal of time
analyzing Sirius' character...so here goes.  First you might want to read
the character summary posted a couple of weeks ago and the discussion
generated by it, we discussed a lot of this.  Particularly whether the
violence shown by Black in PoA is a character trait or a result of the
mental trauma of seeing his best friends killed as a result of his
arrogance, being framed by another friend and spending 12 years wrongfully
imprisoned in a hell-hole designed to make the inmates lose their will to
live.

Magda wrote

> >Have just finished reading PoA and and haven't read GoF at all so
> >these comments might be changed after reading the fourth book.  But I
> >must admit that I think Sirius Black is a serious jerk and that Snape
> >might have done Harry a future favour if he'd gone ahead and blasted
> >him with the wand like he so badly wanted to do. The trick played on
> >Snape as a youth is a pretty good reason for him to hate Black IMO.

As Jee Lee said:

> Come on, go ahead an read GoF!!!

You may change your mind after reading GoF

Then Jee wrote:
>
> The trick that Sirius played on Snape was simply despicable, even for
> a sixteen-year-old. Not that it's unreasonable to *want* to kill Snape,
> nasty little git that he is, but to actually carry it out? And in a way
> that would leave the blood on his friend Remus's hands(claws)? That was an
> all-time low for Sirius so far.

Ok here's my take on the werewolf inciden.  Sirius is 16 (as is Snape).
Snape has been following the marauder's and is constantly looking over their
shoulders and threatening to turn them in and get them expelled.

Sirius has had it with Snape and says..."ok he wants to know where Remus
goes every month...I'll tell him where Remus goes every month."  I really
don't think he actually thought through the implications of telling Snape.
He has shown that character trait (not thinking thoroughly about his
actions...and this is certainly typical of a 16 yo boy)

So Snape proceeds to use the information to see what Remus was up to (slimy
nosy git that he is).  No one compelled Snape to use the info Sirius gave
him.  I don't think Snape is completely blameless in this incident.  He was
probably breaking more than one rule in taking the info that Sirius provided
and acting on it.  I'm not saying he got what he deserved, but no one forced
him into that tunnel.

Yes, what Sirius did was wrong, but its like the kids who throw rocks off a
bridge.  They are justlittle rocks, until they get bigger and suddenly they
kill someone.  16 year old boys are not known for their forethought or
judgement.

Sirius did not lead Snape into the tunnel.  He simply told him where Lupin
went...and let Snape act on it...I agee he should have really been more
cautious and think through that, but...

I really don't see this incident as an indicator of a violent streak in
Sirius.

> It's a little disturbing to me that Sirius had that kind of violent yet
> sneaky tendency even before Azkaban. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a
> really great guy, but he does have a ruthless side to him, a dark streak.

I really don't see a ruthless side to him.  He has had some violent
outbursts in PoA.  Monika and I strongly believe these are manifestations of
a post-traumatic stress disorder and the stress and frustration associated
with trying to get to Pettigrew before he hurts Harry.

If you look at the incidents in which Sirius is shown in PoA in that light,
I think his actions make a lot more sense...and show a guy who's much more
than a violent short-tempered jerk.  It also jives more with the character
that appears in GoF

He really does show a caring side in GoF.  I see him as intensely loyal to
his friends, and as someone with rather high standards for himself and
others.  He is extremely guilty about his decision to switch secret-keepers
and has had 12 years to relive that courtesy of the dementors.  That would
make anyone less than stable.

I do agree he is the sexiest man in the books, so that may color my
judgement.

carole