In defense of Sirius

[monika at darwin.inka.de]

No: HPFGUIDX 19167

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Magda Grantwich <mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> I agree.  Lupin's alright and the jury's still out on James (respect
> for the dead and all that) but even after reading GoF, I haven't
> changed my opinion of Sirius Black.  He strikes me as one of those
> charming guys that are great in their 20's but don't marry or mature
> like their friends.  The kind of guy who'll still show up on his
> motorbike in a black leather jacket (which is getting a tad snug
> around the waist) and expect his married buds to join him at the pub
> on the night that their kids are playing a semi-final soccer game. 

What a nice birthday present to find this in my mailbox after waking 
up this morning. Sorry, just kidding. ;-) I have seen that most of 
the points have already been made, but I just have to add my two 
knuts, sorry again. Hm, your perception of Sirius might have been 
true hadn't he been sent to Azkaban. We don't know it. But his life 
has taken a different course, and there is no way IMO that this 
experience hasn't profoundly changed him. If what you said about his 
youth is true, it will sure have changed him for the better. Living 
through 12 years of torture will affect anyone and make him see life 
in a different light, whoever he might have
been before.

> He doesn't seem too bright either.

Well, now I am completely puzzled. Like Carole has already pointed 
out, he has some pretty healthy opinions about parenting and 
politics, and besides that we are told in PoA that he was an 
exceptionally bright student. I'd say that managing the Animagus 
transformation at age 15 is quite something, unless you think that 
given the fact that Rita Skeeter is an Animagus, too, it's not
a big deal. I really don't think so. There were only seven registered 
Animagi in the 20th century, and I have a feeling that although we 
might think there are lots of unregistered Animagi running around, 
there aren't. Even Dumbledore was impressed by this achievement of 
Sirius, James and Peter.

Amy wrote:

> Hoo boy.  I should get the heck out of the way before I get run 
over 
> by a stampeding Carole, but I'm gonna get my 2 knuts in before I 
dive 
> out of the crossfire, if I may mix a metaphor.

Amy, don't you know that we are two now and that the crossfire will 
come from two sides? <g>

Koinonia wrote:

> Oh.....but come on......I am not even talking about the number of 
> Snape threads compared to Sirius, James, Lupin, or anyone else. I 
was 
> referring to how the characters are portrayed in the books.  I know 
> there are others out there who feel as I do.  As much as I love the 
> trio and Lily, I do get tired of hearing about how perfect they 
are, 
> that's all.  We all have our favorite characters.  If someone 
doesn't 
> like Snape that is fine with me.  If I find Sirius boring (I don't) 
> then shouldn't I have a right to feel that way?  Jeez....aren't we 
> allowed to have our own opinions about the characters?  Sure seems 
> like there are many different opinions on this board and others!

Of course you have the right to have your opinion, as anyone else on
this list. But Carole is right when she says that Sirius isn't 
discussed as much as Snape. I admit that there are times when I 
delete every message that has Snape in the subject. It's not that I 
don't find him interesting, but I don't think he's the most developed 
character in the books, and I sadly don't have the time to read all 
the messages anyway. And I truly can't remember many messages that 
said that Sirius was perfect. Sexy, yes, but that's not quite the 
same, isn't it?

Well, I just had to add a few comments before attacking the cake 
later this morning.

Monika