Sirius Black, God father

[heathernmoore]

No: HPFGUIDX 32549

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Penny & Bryce <pennylin at s...> wrote:
> 
> We've discussed this topic before.  I did a quick search of the 
Message 
> Archives & discovered threads related to this topic on April 17 - 
22, 
> 2001; August 22, 2001; and November 6, 2001.  You might be 
interested to 
> read those past messages, Laura.
> 
> To summarize my own thoughts: the term "godparent" in the UK does 
not 
> necessarily denote a religious spiritual guidance role in all 
cases.  It 
> is a term, as I understand it, that can often be used 
interchangeably 
> with "guardian" (as in legal guardian).  It's quite clear from PoA 
that 
> Sirius is Harry's legal guardian per the Potters' wishes.  It is 
not 
> clear that he also holds any sort of spiritual mentor role in the 
form 
> of a godparent.  Since Black is the legal guardian (and unless he 
was 
> married at the time & his wife was also named godmother), it 
doesn't 
> seem terribly likely to me that Harry has a godmother lurking out 
there 
> somewhere.  You wouldn't give 2 unmarried individuals (who didn't 
> otherwise have a relationship that is) guardianship rights for your 
> child or children without specifying custody arrangements & the 
like.
> 
> I think it's most likely that Black is his "godfather" in a 
strictly 
> legal guardian/secular sense & that there is no godmother.
> 
> Penny
> 


  It would seem to me that Sirius can't possibly be Harry's legal 
guardian as of the 1990s, no matter what the Potters' original 
intentions were.  Sirius is a convicted felon who spent twelve years 
in solitary confinement in prison (and is now a wanted fugitive), and 
the Dursleys have during this time been responsible for Harry's 
medical care and education. (In fact, it always seemed odd to me that 
the Dursleys didn't simply put the infant up for adoption or at least 
seek a legal injunction for kidnapping or such to keep Harry away 
from Hogwarts.) Surely they couldn't have had Harry schooled without 
being his legal guardians. If there is a magical component to 
guardianship, surely Dumbledore would have severed it at the time 
that everyone believed Sirius was an unreformed Death Eater, spy, 
betrayer, and mass murderer.

 Heather (uma)