Sirius confusing Harry and James

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 76104

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darkkitten2" <darkkitten at m...> 
wrote:
> jwpgh wrote:
> 
> >   Part of the problem here was that these  2 people just didn't 
know each other very well> <snip>

 *nod*
> 
> Sirius and Harry were tied together by James and Lily's choices, not
> their own. They're really _family_, with the involuntary connection 
that
> family implies. <snip> For me this explains why Harry seems to have 
such a sudden affection 
> for Sirius. It's not that he knows much about Sirius at all, it's 
that he
> trusts his parents, accepts Sirius as part of his family (something 
he is
> desperately hungry for) and does his best to go from there,   <snip>
> 
> Molly is afraid for Harry and a little jealous. She acts as a 
parent figure
> and protector for Harry  and Sirius is now competing
> for that position. <snip> 
> darkkitten

Laura:
*nods back*  

Yes, in deciding to accept Sirius, Harry was showing faith in his own 
parents, who chose to trust Sirius above everyone else they knew 
(including, it would seem, DD).  It's the only way he has to show his 
love for them-Sirius and his status as Harry's parental figure are 
Lily and James' living bequest to Harry.  By accepting Sirius, Harry 
accepts the love and protection of his parents.  Sirius, of course, 
had already committed himself to Harry by accepting the role of 
godfather, and he took it seriously enough for it to keep him sane in 
Azkaban.  

I'd also like to point out, slightly off-topic, that the impulsive 
and sometimes dangerous behavior Sirius has been accused of don't 
seem evident in GoF.  We see him as a recently-escaped prisoner in 
PoA who is being fueled by his long-frustrated rage at Peter.  He has 
every reason to kill Peter the minute he sees him (in whatever form 
Peter takes), but he has enough self-control to stop himself at 
Harry's discretion.  Then we see him in GoF, during which his advice 
to Harry is always reasonable and thougtful.  Sirius acts in this 
book as a mature and loving parent, available for counsel and 
support.  He discourages Harry from acting rashly and clearly has 
Harry's safety as his priority, even over his own.  Then in OoP, 
Sirius veers back and forth between the two.  That leads me to 
suggest that Sirius' moments of rashness are situational-when he has 
time and freedom to think and consider, he's just fine.  When he's 
under severe emotional pressure, he begins to falter.  Had he and 
Harry had a chance to live together under normal circumstances, I 
have no doubt that Sirius would have been a wonderful guardian.  

As for Molly, she needs to let go-with her own kids as well as with 
Harry.  She didn't know James and Lily well and had no right to 
second-guess their decision. If DD and Remus trust Sirius, she should 
have too.