Thoughts on a strangely unsatisfying death(?) scene

[vincentjh]

No: HPFGUIDX 69364

"D.G."  wrote:
 
> 1.  Sirius:  I originally thought Sirius had been killed by the 
spell that hit him -- somehow it seemed that he got hit, then 
immediately arced over into the chasm beyond the Black Veil, almost 
as if anyone who died got transported there automatically.  Others, 
however, have suggested that he was just stunned by the curse, and 
somehow fell into the chasm.  Re-reading the scene, I'm tempted to 
believe that -- except that there's something REALLY odd about how 
he "just happened to" stagger and/or somehow arc his body into that 
black hole.  It doesn't make sense that the guy who was canny and 
resourceful enough to survive Azkaban and perform all those acts of 
heroism after he got out would be so clumsy as to loop around in 
circles like a Grade-B actor in an old western movie until 
he "accidentally" fell into the Veil of Death. <

VJH:
As some have mentioned, Sirius' death is written so subtly that they 
did not realize he's dead until Lupin said he's gone. It read to me  
as if Sirius just fell. Since people were falling down everywhere in 
that room, I had trouble understanding why Harry got so nervous when 
he saw Sirius fall. As a result, I did not find Harry's reactions 
immediately after it very believable.

But then, maybe I just didn't pay enough attention because the long 
fight scene got a little tiring at that point.

D.G. also wrote:
> Maybe Harry needs to be fatherless for some reason, to prepare 
himself for his final confrontation with the Dark Lord <

(Oops, I accidentally cut too much of the original text. Couldn't get 
it back....My bad.)

I don't think Sirius intentionally made a sacrifice for Harry. There 
can/could be so many ways and chances for him to get killed if he 
needs to make a sacrifice. Why pick such timing and place when they 
needed EVERYBODY to fight those death eaters to, uh, commit half 
suicide?

However, I do think that Sirius "needs to die," as you suggested. My 
reasoning for that isn't for mythological connection, though. It 
seems to me, in OOP and previous books, we are seeing that Harry 
needs to grow up and start making responsible choices. In addition, 
he has to realize that he is given a lot of previlege by the adults 
around him. And if he is to take this for granted (and he does take 
it for granted), then he will have to accept the responsibility that 
comes with it. JKR gave Harry a "wake up call" by killing off a 
parental figure and making him die a senseless death caused by 
Harry's action.

Having someone die of Harry's rackless decision would be the best way 
to wake him up and make him think twice before doing his "hero" 
thing. But who should be the one?

I've always thought that the person has to be an adult who puts 
Harry's interests ahead of everyone and everything else. Sirius is 
certainly one of them. Or maybe even the only one. Sirius, by his 
lack of regard to people that he doesn't care, his almost 
pathological love of Harry, and his willing to go any distance for 
the kid, is the most likely to hinder Harry's development in the 
future. He is the one that HAS to go or change in order for Harry to 
grow up, stop his hero worshiping, and know that sometimes those who 
treat him best are not the best for him.

Before OOP, I was worried that Harry would never grow out of his 
relation with Sirius. Somehow, I found it, well, right that Sirius is 
gone.

Unfortunately, at the end of OOP, even after Dumbledore confessed 
that he had made a mistake by putting Harry's interests ahead of 
those around him, Harry hasn't seemed to realize that, all along, a 
lot of people (not just his mother) are making sacrifices for him and 
his self-righteousness has done much damage.

Well, there are another two books to go. I'm sure the kid would turn 
around.

VJH