Living With Sirius

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 28296

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., JayKay <eyre68 at y...> wrote:
> 
> 
> I'd buy that if there were any sign, however slight,
> that Sirius learned anything from his experiences. But
> if PoA does nothing else, it reveals he's still just
> as prone to act without thinking, and he's still just
> as capable of holding a senseless grudge. 
> 
> There's no reason for Sirius to hate Severus as much
> as he does except, possibly, Severus' past as a DE, a
> mistake which Severus has made up for. Even with that
> in mind, Severus hasn't done anything to Sirius
> personally that we know of on the same level that
> Sirius has done to Severus. 
> 
> I can fully understand why Severus feels the way he
> does, but IMO, Sirius' reactions aren't justified, and
> he doesn't appear to have learned anything or changed
> much at all. I think he's capable of doing the same
> sort of thing again, given the chance. 
> 
> 


OK.  Fair enough.  Good points.  We certainly haven't been told that 
Severus did anything evil to Sirius.  And Sirius didn't know Snape 
was a DE until the "Parting of the Ways". (In Padfoot Returns, Sirius 
says, "But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a 
Death Eater.")  So if Snape has been heroic and has placed himself at 
risk in service to Dumbledore, Sirius knows nothing of it, and would 
have no reason to think Snape isn't the same kid Sirius knew at 
Hogwarts.

Now, in my never-ending quest to defend Sirius, consider this.  
You're right that Sirius is frozen in time, isn't he?  Still stewing 
over decade-old grudges, showing no more emotional maturity or growth 
than the day he left Hogwarts.  Still smirking about Snape's greasy 
hair like a pre-adolescent, locked in the same old tired battles.

And why is that?  Well, he's been locked up for 12 years.  It is hard 
to manage much personal growth when one is lying on the floor of a 
cell in solitary confinement.  The main frame of reference in life 
Sirius really has is his time at Hogwarts, and he seems perpetually 
trapped there, growth-wise.  One would expect that Snape and Lupin 
would truly have moved on by now, and Lupin surely has.  But if 
Sirius isn't showing us any growth, it really isn't his fault.

Snape, on the other hand, has not moved past his old Hogwarts grudges 
either.  Opposing Lupin's appointment as DADA teacher.  Trying to tip 
off the students that Lupin is a werewolf.  Tipping off the students 
so that Lupin must resign.  Accusing Lupin of letting Black in the 
castle.  Motivated to catch Black in PoA to settle a school-boy 
grudge.  Being unwilling to acknowledge Black's membership on the 
team until Dumbledore forced him too.  Snape is also showing a 
certain lack of personal growth, and unlike Sirius, Snape doesn't 
have a very good excuse for it.  

Cindy (typing this response to take her mind off the fact that Word 
just crashed and she lost a great chunk of her work and now must re-
create it)