Is Sirius Really Dead? YES

[Buttercup]

No: HPFGUIDX 72245

--- harriet_lupin <mlacats at aol.com> wrote:
<snip>
> After grieving for a week, I thought it all over and
> JKR had a lot of explaining to do.  And so for now, I 
would like to stay with the idea that "Sirius is not dead".  
> <snip>


I, too, had a hard time after reading the chapter with
Sirius' death. I felt depressed for days. He is my 2nd
favorite character. I think I probably cried more than
JK Rowling did after she wrote the scene. 

But I knew Sirius was the one who would die in OOP the
moment Harry found out that the Headquarters of OOP
was Sirius' home. JKR brought Sirius in early in the
book to form that emotional bond with the readers, so
the climactic death scene would be more powerful.
Since he didn't have a real big part in Goblet of
Fire, the readers might have lost that emotional
attachment with him. And everything was against him:
depression, bad elf, and with him in hiding he
couldn't really play an important role in the plot of
the last two books. He was doomed. I knew Hagrid was
safe because he didn't enter OOP until halfway
through. I knew it wouldn't be Hermione or Ron because
JKR isn't done developing their relationship. And
Dumbledore is still needed in the story.

JKR wanted a powerful and heart-wrenching climax, and
she needed to kill off someone who was very close to
Harry, someone he depended on. The best choice was
Sirius.

I wish more than anything (and for Harry's sake) that
Sirius wasn't really dead. But for the sake of the
plot, he is.

Buttercup