Why it had to be Sirius

[that space cadet glow]

No: HPFGUIDX 75719

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mhershey2001"
<mhersheybar at h...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "that space cadet glow" 
> <explodingstar at a...> wrote:
> > My theory on why Sirius had to die has to do with the fact that for 
> > the first time, we really see Harry screw up and fail. It's because 
> > of Harry's actions (as well as DD's) that Sirius wound up being in 
> > the DoM and getting killed at all. We saw Harry fall into a trap 
> 
> Now me:
>   I agree that your theory makes a lot of sense as far as the reason 
> why "someone" had to die, but I think there were other people besides 
> Sirius who could have died because of a mistake of Harry's just as 
> easily.  For example, JKR could have killed off any of the students 
> who went along with Harry without changing any of the plot and the 
> impact of Harry's screwing up leading to the death would have been 
> the same.  I am trying to decide if there are specific reasons that 
> it was Sirius, as opposed to someone else.  Maybe there isn't a real 
> reason, other than an emotional loss for Harry.  I have been reading 
> the "second guessing JKR" thread and a lot of it makes sense to me - 
> certain things are in the story just to move the plot along 
> generally, not because they have some big, symbolic significance.
> 
> Mhershey

I think the reason it had to be Sirius in particular is probably the
emotional impact it had on Harry. Also, and I know this sounds
horrible, but it's possible that from a purely plot standpoint he was
the most disposable character whose death would still make an
emotional impact. We don't know what she has planned for Ron, Hermione
or any of the other characters who are really close to Harry, but
maybe they're still too important to kill off just yet in terms of
further plot developments. 

~dream