Interview w/ JKR [Sirius]

[lorien_eve]

No: HPFGUIDX 72474

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com,
> ME:  Actually, I did *not* cry when I read about Sirius's death, 
and 
> reading this list makes me wonder why not, since it seems that 
just 
> about everyone else *did*.  I think that perhaps the 
whole "someone-
> important-is-going-to-die-in-Book 5" pre-release propaganda took 
the 
> surprise out of the death, so that I read along thinking "Oh, it's 
> *Sirius* who is going to die.  Whew! At least it is not Hermione! 
(or 
> Ron, or Lupin etc.)"  I confess that I never really bonded to 
Sirius 
> like so many on the list did, although I did like him.  
> I think that JKR killed him in order to emphasize the pain and 
loss 
> that Harry is having to go through at this point in the series.  
He 
> is so *isolated* at the end of OoP (by Sirius's death and the 
burden 
> of the prophecy).  I found that part to be sadder than Sirius's 
> actual death scene.  To me, it is the senselessness of death, the 
> loss of potential and the guilt and sadness of the living that 
give a 
> death (in literature) resonance.  I'm not sure what part of that 
was 
> lacking for me in this case.  
> Elle (who cried buckets when Ruth May died in the "Poisonwood 
Bible")

I *loved* Sirius, but I didn't cry when he died, either. I think the 
reason for that was the way the death was written. It wasn't 
anything dramatic or drawn-out. He was hit with a curse and knocked 
through the veil. End of story. It was so sudden. It wasn't until 
Harry was in Dumbledore's office that I accepted the fact that 
Sirius really was dead. JKR had teased several deaths throughout the 
book, so I was hoping this was another one of those teases. After 
the realization hit me, I was extremely upset for days afterward. I 
would've loved to just sat there and cried my eyes out when he died, 
but I was confused over the whole veil thing. But like I said, I 
think it was the way the death was written. For me, anyway.

Lorien_Eve