I've got a Sirius problem

[cynthiaanncoe at home.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25769

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., pigwidgeon37 at y... wrote:
> Now, practically 
> everybody out there is pro-Sirius and so I thought I might 
eventually 
> bore you with my Why-Do-I-Dislike-Sirius- analysis:
> 
<snip>

Why did he have to 
> destroy the portrait of the Fat Lady, when she refused to let him 
> into Gryffindor Tower without a password?  When he entered the 
boys' 
> dormitory to get Scabbers, why was it necessary to slash Ron's 
> bedcurtains with a knife instead of drawing them back? He had to 
drag 
> Ron into the tunnel and to the shrieking shack, but was breaking 
his 
> leg in the process absolutely inevitable? Hadn't Hermione kicked 
him, 
> how far would he have gone in defending himself against Harry's 
> attack in the Shrieking Shack (But Black's free hand had found 
> Harry's throat- "No, he hissed, I've waited too long-" The fingers 
> tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew. –PoA, p. 367)? 
> So much for PoA, add the Conjunctivitus Curse he would have 
suggested 
> to Harry for getting past the Hungarian Horntail (I was going to 
> suggest a Conjunctivitus curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest 
> point- GoF, p.363 UK hardcover ed.), which, according to what Ron 
> tells Harry after the first task, is none too pleasant.

<Snip>

> And now, guys, feel free to put me through the shredder! 


Where is that darn shredder now that I need it?  :)  Personally, I'm 
not at all troubled about any of Sirius' actions (except the 
childhood prank on Snape).

As for slashing the fat lady:  He didn't hurt her (I think).  
Remember, he is worried that Pettigrew will transform and kill Harry, 
so slashing a picture and scaring the Fat Lady seems justifiable.

Next, he slashes Ron's curtains.  Again, perfectly acceptable.  Why 
does he slash the curtains?  Well, it's dark, and he has to find 
Pettigrew quickly before everyone wakes up.  He can't be groping 
around in the dark trying to find the place where the curtains come 
together.  The only place Sirius can be sure Pettigrew can be found 
is Ron's dorm, so it makes sense that Sirius goes there at night, 
when both Ron and Pettigrew are sure to be there.

As for Ron's leg, that wasn't intentional of course.  And Sirius 
twice showed concern for Ron's leg (Shrieking Shack and Sirius' 
escape), so that makes it all better.

As for choking Harry, a lot of people have trouble with this scene.  
But under the circumstances, Sirius' actions are the only things he 
could do.  Sirius has just been knocked down and is getting punched.  
If he lets himself get disarmed, he goes to the dementors, and 
Pettigrew goes free to kill Harry some day.  There is no reason to 
think he was going to keep on choking Harry -- he was going to do 
what he had to do to get Harry off.

As for the conjunctivitis curse, give poor Sirius a break here.  
Sirius knows nothing of the rules of the tournament.  How is Sirius 
supposed to know that Harry can do a summoning charm at all, or that 
using a broom is permitted?  

And let's give Sirius some credit for the fabulous things he has 
done:  trying to protect Harry and fulfill a father role.

I think Sirius is a great character, and all of his actions seem 
quite logical under the circumstances.  The only question for me is 
which is the best character in the series:  Lupin or Black?

Cindy