Sirius - who is right?

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 73480

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "marinafrants" <rusalka at i...> 
wrote:
Snape is out there being a valued member of 
> the Order, contributing to the fight, getting trust and respect 
from 
> Dumbledore, teaching important things to Harry, while all Sirius 
can 
> do is impotently sit and wait. 

Yes, but how does the saying go? "They also serve who only stand and 
wait."  This is a war situation, and Sirius pulled an unpleasant, 
uncongenial task.  It's not what he felt suited to, but sitting and 
waiting was his job, for the good of the cause.  Sirius wasn't able 
to reconcile himself to that, and I think Dumbledore, as 
a "commander", so to speak, realized that Sirius was not really a 
very good soldier.  He couldn't take orders, basically - he wanted 
things on his terms.  In that respect, I think he was a poor 
influence on Harry.  Harry has a big task ahead of him, and a lot 
depends on him shouldering it, whether he feels happy about it or 
not.  Sirius was discontented, and he sowed discontent - I think he 
was very selfish to express his irritation with Dumbledore to 
Harry.  In fact, it always made me feel a bit scornful of their 
relationship that it seemed largely to be based on shared resentment 
of others.  Harry was always happy when Sirius called Snape names, 
and reflected his own irritations.

Wanda