Sirius Motivations

[siriusgeologist]

No: HPFGUIDX 34748

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "judyserenity" <judyshapiro at e...> wrote:
> Continuing the Snaper/Sirist debate:
> 
> Ok, now on to Sirius' many bad points.
> 
> A lot of people here have given various excuses for "The Prank."  
> However, I don't see the prank on Snape as the worst thing Sirius 
has 
> done.  Instead, I think it's his actions in PoA.  Sirius has 
this "I'm 
> going to get revenge on Peter single-handedly, no matter what it 
> costs" attitude that causes other people a lot of suffering.  


I don't really see revenge as Sirius' primary motivator for his 
actions in PoA.  Sirius broke out of Azkaban for one primary reason.  
To keep Harry from being killed by Pettigrew, whom he alone knew was 
working for Voldie.  If you look at Sirius' actions in PoA in light 
of a person desperate to keep Harry safe rather than one bent on 
revenge, I think we learn more about Sirius' character than if we 
assume it was selfish motivations that led to his destructive 
behavior in PoA.

If revenge was his primary motivator why did it take Sirius 12 years 
to break out.  He only got up the determination to get himself out 
once he knew where Pettigrew was and knew he was a serious threat to 
Harry. 

On the point of why he didn't enlist help, he knew everyone in the 
wizard community (including Dumbledore who testified to the ministry 
against him) thought he was Voldie's second.  He didn't think anyone 
would believe his story of Pettigrew being alive and definitely had 
no reason to trust anyone with protecting Harry because noone knew 
what Pettigrew was capable of (or even alive for that matter) except 
him.

Add the desperate need to keep Harry safe (he'd promised Lily and 
James that he would if anything had happened to them, plus he still 
feels completely and totally responsible for James and Lily getting 
killed) to 12 years of mental torture (bad enough that most go insane 
and die after a couple years) and knowing he is being hunted and 
pursued by the whole wizard and muggle community after his escape and 
I'm not surprised he isn't even more desperate.

Halloween night was his best opportunity to get at Scabbers.  All the 
students are at the Halloween Party, Get in...get the rat...no 
students...and here is the painting preventing his long awaited 
goal.  Not at all surprising he didn't go off a bit on the Fat Lady, 
particularly if he was suffering from PTSD (a theory of which I am a 
strong supporter) and bingo...dissociation and blackout.  I would be 
awfully surprised if he even remembers slashing the Fat Lady, or 
slashing Ron's bed curtains.  I'm not even sure he would remember all 
that happened in the shrieking shack.

OK I've gone on long enough.  But I certainly believe Sirius has some 
really good traits that have been glimpsed...loyalty to an extreme, 
respect for the trio, intelligence, magical talent, commitment to 
Harry, in addition to being dead sexy.

Carole
A serious Sirius defender