Laughing Sirius

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 34429

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., mrgrrrargh at a... wrote:
> I never was quite sure -- maybe I missed the explanation in the 
book -- why 
> Sirius was laughing hysterically after Peter blew up the street 
full of 
> Muggles and turned into a rat. Anyone know?


I'm of the school that believes this was an extreme reaction to 
stress.  It may well seem odd to people, but I have a friend who 
reacts the same way.  Giggles through funerals, snickers when she 
breaks up with the guy she's dating, etc.  It's not that she's 
amused, in any way.  It's just what she does.  It's like when you do 
something incredibly stupid and you make that sort of part laugh, 
part snort, part sigh sound.  Right before you say, "What an idiot I 
am!"

Take that reaction to an extreme, and you've got Sirius in the middle 
of a blown up street.  I think that Sirius was beside himself at this 
point, with grief, because of James' and Lily's deaths; with fury, at 
Peter's betrayal; and with guilt, because it was his own plan that 
led up to this horrible moment. After the street blew up, I don't 
think it would be surprising to respond with what may well have been 
dry-eyed hysteria, which could have been interpreted as maniacal 
laughter.  

Plus, Sirius does laugh at other times that might strike folks as 
odd.  In the Shrieking Shack scene, after Peter says that Sirius was 
able to escape from Azkaban because of his dark powers:

"Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the 
whole room."  

Of course he'd laugh - here's little Peter, who knows the truth, 
still trying to avoid responsibility for what happened by trying to 
make sure everyone believes that Sirius is the Dark Lord's servant.  

And in GoF, in "Padfoot Returns" when the four are discussing Crouch 
Jr.'s arrest with a band of DEs: 

"Did Crough try and get his son off?" Hermione whispered.

Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark.


Sirius is not amused at any of these situations. He's not really 
laughing.  Like my friend, it just seems to be what he does.

Marianne, glad to write about Sirius instead of Snape