[HPforGrownups] Re: Living With Sirius

[JayKay]

No: HPFGUIDX 28297


--- "Cindy C." <cynthiaanncoe at home.com> wrote:

 
> 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.

Hhm... I don't know that I'd agree with that totally.
Considering he had strength of mind enough to keep
from going insane (we assume), it seems that the sheer
intensity of his experiences could have triggered some
kind of growth and insight. Traumatic experiences tend
to have that effect on people. Something earth-shaking
happens, it rocks their world, and they don't see
things the same way again. 

But Sirius does definitely seem stuck in a negative
way, which doesn't say much for him (in my opinion,
which is obviously not kindly disposed towards Sirius
<g>). 


> 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. 

But unlike Sirius, I don't think Severus is motivated
solely by anger over an old grudge. His motives aren't
that simple or simplistic. The grudge certainly added
fuel to his fire, but I think his main motivation is
playing watchdog for Dumbledore, which is essentially
what he's been doing since book one. 

After all, Severus is the one who actively goes after
Quirrel, trying to protect the stone and by extension,
Harry. 

In book two, Severus has one of the strongest positive
reactions we see from him in the entire series when he
clutches his chair upon being told Ginny has been
taken into the Chamber. That little detail says a
*lot* about how he feels about protecting the
students.

And in book three, as horribly wrong as he is and how
poorly he goes about it, Severus is trying to protect
Hogwarts and the students from people he perceives as
a threat. Lupin is a threat because he's a werewolf,
and Severus has a real, visceral memory of an up close
and personal encounter with Remus-as-werewolf. I'm
willing to bet he doesn't want history to repeat
itself with Harry's generation of students. As far as
suspecting Sirius and wanting to see him captured
again... well, even *Remus* thought Sirius was guilty.


And what does that say about Sirius? There must have
been something about him that helped Remus, Hagrid and
everyone else who knew him (with the possible
exception of Dumbledore; I can't remember if he
expressed any opinion on Sirius' guilt or innocence re
the murders) believe he was capable of turning to
Voldemort and killing on V's behalf. There's no
evidence anyone went leaping to his defence, crying,
"No! It's not possible! He'd never do that! There must
be some kind of mistake!" 

I'll be the first to say I think the fact that
Sirius's "prank" contributed to Severus' gloating glee
when he thought he was on the verge of bringing Sirius
to justice, but I don't think it was his primary
motivation. I think he was continuing his role of
Hogwarts watchdog. I'm curious to know if this is the
job Dumbledore wants him to fulfill, or if it's a
self-appointed role, but his pattern throughout the
books is clear: he's keeping an eye on things, which,
now that I think of it, is a variation on what he did
as a student which got him n Sirius' bad side to begin
with. The man is a stickler for order, following the
rules, and safety. As someone on another list put it,
he's the Hogwarts version of Javert, and that's the
best description of the role he's fulfilling I've
seen, so I'm borrowing it. Can't take credit for it,
though. :)
 
At any rate, that's my interpretation of events, which
isn't likely to change in Sirius' favor any time soon,
so I'll stop picking on him now. ;)  



JayKay


=====
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
~~Albus Dumbledore, _Chamber of Secrets_

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