[HPforGrownups] Sirius Black's math mistake?/ Flickering

[Meg Demeranville]

No: HPFGUIDX 37852

Jamie wrote: "Question:  When Sirius speaks to Peter (p. 370) he says, "Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead."  As far as I can tell, Voldemort can only have been in hiding for twelve to thirteen years, if the infant Harry defeated him on Halloween, 1981.  It may be just a rough estimation on Sirius's part, but why would he be so unspecific when he clearly knows exactly how many years he spent in prison? That being said, is Sirius just really bad at math?  Or does he know something that we don't?"

Me:
Perhaps Voldermort whereabouts where unknown for his last few years. Everyone knew he was out there, but he allowed his Death Eaters to perform the actual terror. One can't be captured if one is in hiding. In some ways that would make him seem almost worse since no one who could defeat him would be able to find him. If you can't see your enemy, natural fears can take over and make the situation seem much worse than it is. It is the unknown that scares us the most. This would explain his name change as well. He would have become a faceless enemy, no one would associate popular Tom Riddle of these horrible actions of a mad man.


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On the flicker:
Kimberly wrote " (snip quote from book) Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.  "Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more. (snip) I have to wonder about the flickering in Black's eyes. That interests me at least as much as Dumbledore's gleam of triumph.  What does the flicker mean?"

Me:
I have always taken that flicker in two ways. First, I think that it is recognition of the pain that Ron is in. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke." Ron is in obvious agony at this point and I think Sirius could see what he had done (and hopefully had some remorse for it). Second, I think it shows his recognition that Ron is the same kind of friend to Harry that Sirius was to James. Ron is standing up to someone that he should fear greatly to protect his best friend. Sirius knows he would have done the same thing. I think it is a humanizing moment for Sirius. He realizes just what he has done in his efforts. In trying to get Peter and protect Harry, he has physically hurt Harry's best friend and terrified them all. In his own way, he tries to correct what he has done. The flicker in his eyes is his realization of how far afield he has gone in his actual goal of protecting Harry.

At least that's what I make of all of it.

Meg (still trying to get motivated enough to study Biochemistry)

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