Sirius: Slashing the Fat Lady & Remorse

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 47657

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Rebecca Stephens <rsteph1981 at y...> wrote:
>
>REBECCA: 
> ps  I'd just like to say (though it has nothin to do
> with the discussion) that when I initally read PoA and
> Snape showed up in the Whomping Willow and started
> raving, I really thought Snape was gone.  I thought he
> was going insane and would be gone from the books.  I
> mean, I really thought sanity had just flown out the
> window.
> 

bboy_mn who is puzzled:

"Snape showed up in the Whomping Willow..."

Did you mean? "...showed up in the Shreiking Shack..."

Or am I even more confused than I thought I was?

Although I cut it out, you spoke about Sirius not showing any remorse,
although you seemed to be relating it to current events in PoA. 

One thing that has puzzle me, is the prank where Sirius sent Snape to
meet the werewolf!Lupin. He was a kid when he did that, teen boys can
be very impulsive, and generally lacking in a lot of forethought. So,
it's understandable that in the 'teen' moment, he would see this as a
joke. Fortunately, James had a little more foresight, saw that this
was a potentially deadly situation, and stopped it.

But Sirius is an adult now, surely he must see that what he did as a
teen was wrong, and that a deadly joke is no joking matter. I would
think any person, no matter how proud or how much he may still dislike
Snape, would have to see that this was wrong. I don't understand why
he doesn't offer a simple apology like, 'Snape, I was a kid and did
something stupid. Now I realize how wrong I was. Sorry.'

He doesn't have to beg or grovel or anything else, just a simple 'I
screwed up and I'm sorry'. Or even, 'Snape, I hate your oily guts, but
I was wrong and I'm sorry'.

Maybe things like this are such minor details that if the author
dwelled on them all, the story would bog down under everyone hugging
and saying they're sorry. But this one point has always bothered me.
He has to see that he was wrong, how could he not? But he has given no
indication that he even acknowledges his mistake.

Just a few extra thoughts.

bboy_mn