OOP Spoiler: Sirius the 'Jerk'

[g_keddle]

No: HPFGUIDX 62047

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "edisbevan" <A.E.B.Bevan at o...> 
wrote:
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> Sirius had a lot of insights and blindnesses... 
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> In GoF he says (paraphrase follows) 'look at how someone treats his 
> inferiors not his superiors that gives the measure of a man...'
> This in support of Hermiones comments on Crouch senior's treatment 
of 
> Winky...
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> Now in OOTP Sirius is measured by that test on the treatment 
of 'his' 
> house-elf and fails it.  And this choice rebounds on him...
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> 
> Edis

This was my first thought as well - curious that JKR used a house elf 
in both instances to underline the disparity in Sirius' theory and 
attitude.  In future, it seems to me that the Sirius debates will be 
less "how could he have laughed after the murder or slashed the fat 
lady's portrait" and instead be "how could he be so rational and 
reasonable in GOF?" I think that's become the anomaly in his 
character now. 

But then again - is it possible to be nice to Kreacher? He reacts 
with equal venom to Hermione's attempts to be kind as to Sirius' 
shouts. (If the portrait of the late Mrs. Black is any indication, 
Kreacher's probably more used to screaming anyway.)Help me out here - 
did Sirius ever ask Kreacher to do anything awful or humiliating? I 
can't remember. Short of banishing anyone from the Order from the 
house - including Sirius - how could you make him happy? He's been 
stewing in solitude and hatred for 10 years. While I'll agree with 
Dumbledore's point that Kreacher's miserable state is What Wizards 
have made him, i.e., the result of the institution of house elf 
slavery, it seems to me that Sirius' real mistake was in 
underestimating the house elf. I don't see that he was actively 
mistreated unless you count being forced to share the house with 
people he loathed - just sharing their air made him feel put upon. I 
can't imagine Sirius' tantrums were any particular hardship, they 
just confirmed Kreacher's view of him in the first place. Not 
justifying tormenting of less fortunate creatures, exactly, just 
wondering if Kreacher could have been handled any differently with 
any more success. 

Gertie