Black vs. Pettigrew: Why was Black Laughing?

[frankielee242]

No: HPFGUIDX 44230

Cindy wrote:
> > When Black hunts down Pettigrew in the street, Pettigrew blasts 
> > himself and a street full of muggles. In PA, we are twice told that 
> > Black stood there laughing when this happened, and was still 
> > laughing when he was arrested. (Stan on Knight Bus and conversation 
> > in Hogsmeade).   SNIP

Tim A wrote:
> It is my feeling that Black was laughing because he knew Pettigrew 
> turned himself into a rat.  Amid all the confusion (smoke, dead 
> bodies, etc.) a rat could easily hide or escape.  


Up from the depths, less than six feet high... Frankie surfaces from
under a drawing table.

I think Black was laughing because he was temporarily insane. His
entire world has just flipped upside down-- his best friends are dead
because he talked them into using Voldemort's spy as thier secret
keeper. Not only that, but without Peter, no one will believe that
Sirius wasn't Voldemort's spy himself (as explained by Dumbledor in
PoA). When Peter disappears into the sewer, Sirius loses any hope of
proving he's not a DE or guilty of mass murder. And, there is NOTHING
Sirius can do about it.

I'd be a gibbering idiot at that point, myself...

Actually, I don't think Sirius was planning to kill Peter when they
met in the street that day. Drag him back for Crouch Senior and the
dementors to interrogate after beating the sh** out of him, yes.
Murder on the spot, no. 


Frankie, who's lurking like mad these days