Sirius - Loyal to a Fault (was: no subject)

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 39352

> Dicentra thinks perhaps the best clues lie in a pattern of behavior 
> that has actually been laid down in canon.  We know so little about 
> Sirius, really, but we do know this:
> 
> He's a dog.
> 
> Yep, a dog.  And on this list it's pretty well established that 
> Sirius's primary virtue is loyalty, such as you would find with a 
> dog.  And as is common with human beings, our virtues are often 
tied 
> in closely with our flaws; at times our virtues *are* our flaws, 
when 
> untempered by other virtues.  
> 
> Isn't it possible that Sirius is loyal to a fault, so to speak?  Is 
> he so determined to be loyal to his "pack" that his single-minded 
> attempts to protect the ones he loves inevitably turn out badly?  
But 
> how could protecting someone be a flaw?  Easy: when you take it 
upon 
> yourself to single-handedly effect that protection.

<snip> of persuasive analysis of Sirius' Shrieking Shack statements.

IIRC, others on this list have used the phrase "loose canon" to 
describe potential future problems with Sirius.  I think that gets to 
Dicentra's point of Sirius being the type of guy who tends to Go It 
Alone.  There's that underlying feeling of someone who may do 
something impulsive or dangerous or downright foolish, which may then 
put others in danger.  If you're not a Sirius fan, you'll probably 
say to  yourself that, of course, this is just arrogant, over-
confident Sirius who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.  And if 
you are a Sirius fan, you may be more charitable and agree that, yes, 
this is simply how the man operates - he perceives a danger to 
someone he cares about and his almost-compulsive reaction is to Do 
Something to protect that person.
 
 
>Let's hope he's recognized 
> that he can't Protect The Pack on his own, and that we don't see 
him 
> reverting to Lone Protector in OoP and the rest.

Hmmm.  Of course, in GoF Sirius still has that pesky Dementor's Kiss 
sentence hanging over his head.  And no wand.  And only a handful of 
people who know the truth about Pettigrew.  Even the most die-hard 
Protector of the Pack person might realize he's operating under some 
serious (ahem) constraints.  Once free of these, assuming JKR does 
actually exonerate Sirius in the eyes of the Wizard World, will 
Sirius show he's learned from past experiences?  Or will he have a 
sort of knee-jerk reaction and revert back to his old behavior, 
simply because he's now free to do so?

 > Now, *why* did think he had to Go It Alone?  Dicentra stands and 
> swats the sand off her legs as she heads back to the Big Bang.  


File this under the heading of "We Need More Information."  Did 
Sirius come from the type of family where going it alone is a 
survival technique? Or was his family so regimented and restricted 
that a naturally inquisitive, intelligent kid felt so stifled that 
going it alone was a way to break free?  Certainly the implication is 
that, while at school, he and James were known as being a duo 
(Rosemerta - "Quite the double act."  McGonagall - "leaders of their 
little gang."  Flitwick - "Inseperable.")

Perhaps this reflects the dynamics of the Marauders.  James and 
Sirius were natural allies, so tended to operate as a unit.  Remove 
James from the situtation, even for a short time like serving a 
detention, and neither Remus nor Peter would take James' place in 
Sirius' view.  Without James around, perhaps Sirius was more likely 
to act on his own. 

Marianne