Can Character Change: A Separate Post

finwitch finwitch at yahoo.com
Sat May 18 15:22:51 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 38856

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Pen Robinson <pen at p...> wrote:
 
> I think the Prank adds complexity to Sirius, because it was 
something he
> did which could have had terrible consequences and which he doesn't 
seem
> willing to admit as a fault.  (I very much hope JKR gives us a bit 
more
> background on it - though in case she doesn't, I have found a 
couple of
> linked fanfics which have become, pro tem, part of my 'personal 
canon', as
> they seem very satisfactorily to explain the motivations and 
mechanisms
> involved.)  It makes it apparent that if Sirius doesn't like 
someone, he is
> capable of doing that person great wrong without thinking through 
the
> consequences.  He does the same with regard to Peter Pettigrew, 
doesn't he
> - wants to kill him, without realising that a dead Pettigrew is a 
far less
> convincing witness to Sirius' own innocence than a live one.  And 
without
> recognising that vengeance is not the same thing as justice.
> 
> Still, I agree - it doesn't make sense to categorise someone solely 
on the
> basis of one stupid thing he did as a teenager.

And-- by my misunderstanding theory, it really *was* nothing he did.
 Just asking Snape why he doesn't press a knot on Whomping Willow's 
trunk in order to get trough (falsely believing Snape *knew* about 
the Whomping Willow), in order to find out if Snape knew about Remus' 
secret... which Snape interpreted as manipulation to get him do it! 
Sirius might even think Snape *knew* and was deliberately trying to 
get dear old Moony into trouble... as someone who "knew more curses 
than 7th year when arriving" it is plausible, plausible that Sirius 
believes Snape wanted to kill Remus that day. (explaining why Sirius 
hates Snape so much)...

Uncovering this misunderstanding would be the key to the miracle 
Dumbledore was asking in the end of GoF. While the books have been 
getting darker and darker, there's always been some light of hope as 
well.

-- Finwitch






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