Black vs. Pettigrew: Why was Black Laughing?

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No: HPFGUIDX 44250

Delurking because I also feel the need to respond to this thread.

I think sirius was laughing because, as he says in the Shrieking 
Shack, he has just realised that 'little Peter has got the better of 
me.' To me his laughter has been, not so much a reaction of 
hysteria, as the bitter self mocking laughter of someone who 
realises how deeply he has been outwitted by the one person he had 
always written off as negligable and of no account. 

I do think Sirius went after Peter with murder in mind. He thought 
he would have no problem with the little hanger on who always seemed 
a bit slow on the uptake and a bit lacking in wizarding skills. 
After all the other three had had to help him out before he could 
manage his animagus transformation at all. And now this appparantly 
weakest member of the group, whom popular, confident Sirius probably 
only just tolerated, has managed to outwit him and frame him for 
mass murder as well as getting away with the betrayal and massacre 
of the Potters. And without evidence, now that Peter has literally 
slipped away, Sirius knew very well no-one would believe him. It 
would be enough to make anyone laugh hysterically, let alone someone 
as emotionally raw as Sirius at that point.

He knew probably from the instant of the blast that he was facing 
life in Azkaban or worse. He had to either laugh or cry 
hysterically! The irony of it tipped him into laughter which of 
course only increased eveyone's belief in his lunacy. It is one of 
those moments which greatly deepens my sympathy for Sirius even 
though I can see how he could have been insufferably arrogant as a 
teenager.

Mercia