Harry never got to tell Sirius he loved him

[Robert Oliver]

No: HPFGUIDX 72528

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kiricat2001" <Zarleycat at a...>
wrote:

> > 
> > Sherrie
> 
> 
> "You do care," said Dumbledore..."You care so much you feel as though 
> you will bleed to death with the pain of it."  
> 
> And Dumbledore continues..." You have now lost your mother, your 
> father and the closest thing to a parent you have ever known. Of 
> course you care."
> 
> You personally may not think that Sirius was a good parental figure 
> or a good influence.  But, canon indicates that Harry considered 
> Sirius very important. He empathised with Sirius in their parallel 
> feelings of being subject to Dumbledore's directions, of being kept 
> out of events.  Harry empathised with Sirius in that both of them 
> have been condemned by popular opinion.  Harry wanted to talk to 
> Sirius about girls. Maybe this is not love, but clearly Harry valued 
> Sirius' opinion, and he wanted and needed their connection.  And, had 
> Harry not felt strongly about Sirius, he would not have been able to 
> banish Voldemort from his head in the MoM.
> 
> Whether Sirius was good, bad, a horrible parental figure, a damaged 
> man who was trying to get himself back together, a cad who only 
> wanted to shag girls or a transvetite cabaret performer - it doesn't 
> matter. What matters is that he was very important to Harry.
> 
> Marianne

Marianne,

I think this is an excellent point.  The important thing at the moment
is the emotional load that Harry had invested in his relationship with
Sirius.  I tend to agree with some comments that suggest the
relationship was fraught with fantasy on both sides (Harry fantasizing
about having a "normal" life, Sirius wanting James back).  I also tend
to agree that Sirius, for all his good intentions, probably would not
have been the best of parental figures over the long haul. 
Nevertheless, the loss is quite real to Harry and none the easier
because the words I Love You were never said.  Indeed, that might make
things even worse.  

I think that the true tragedy here is that Harry had only just begun
to open up and trust someone after a lifetime of neglect and abuse. 
Even his relationships with Ron and Hermione have been marked at times
by reticence.  Now, with Sirius dead and Dumbledore revealed as an
untrustworthy liar (harsh language but I am trying to put it as Harry
might well see things), he is likely to close like a clam - setting up
all sorts of potential for future tragedy.

Bob