OOP: (Sirius) A person is more than the worst thing they have done

[Juliet]

No: HPFGUIDX 63851

>From an old post:
>>I keep going back to: *why?* What qualities did Peter have that 
would make him a good Secret Keeper? The least talented of the four 
boys. The kid who was always tagging around. The boy who hero-
worshipped Black and Potter [see PoA Ch.10, p.154]. He wasn't even 
good at duelling ... [p.155]>>


This is exactly WHY Sirius made Peter Secret-Keeper.  It was a bluff, 
as was quoted in the old post as well from canon:


"James and Lily only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested 
it ... I thought it was the perfect plan ... a bluff ... Voldemort 
would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, 
talentless thing like you ... "[PoA p. 271, Ch. 19]


Maybe I'm misunderstanding this old post...or perhaps just 
misunderstanding canon.  But I'll go on anways.

The way I always thought it:  Sirius was James Potter's best friend.  
Everyone knew this.  When the Potters went into hiding, and which I 
suppose the obvious charm of choice would be the Fidelius, the Number 
One suspect for Secret-Keeper for the Potters would be Sirius, their 
talented best man.   Thus, Voldemort  would go after Sirius.  Sirius 
was counting on Voldemort going after *him*, and that's why Peter was 
made Secret-Keeper, since people would expect the Potters to use 
someone more talented.   Even Dumbldore and Lupin didn't know about 
this switch, and since no one was able to testify otherwise, then I 
assume *no one* did.  

It was a big bluff that went wrong, since Pettigrew was not on their 
side.

And,  I don't think Peter would have to be *bullied* into being given 
the chance to hand over to Voldemort two members of the Order of the 
Phoenix and their son, three people he really wanted to kill.  This 
was, as Voldemort and Sirius both imply, the chance he was waiting 
for.  WHY would he have to be bullied?

Pip!Squeak:
>>And no, I don't like his behaviour to Kreacher at all. I think 
Sirius's tendency to feel contempt for other people who he saw 
as 'his inferiors' was his 'tragic flaw'.>>

As others have stated, I don't see it implied that Sirius was cruel 
to Kreacher because he saw him as "inferior."  He was cruel to 
Kreacher because Kreacher was a cruel, nasty little thing himself.  
As for being cruel to Peter- we have a slight example, but as I was 
asking about Adult Sirius, it doesn't quite count.  And any examples 
of cruelty to Peter from PoA are deserved, considering what Peter did.

So...there's no acutal canon on Sirius The *Adult* Bully?

Pip!Squeak:
>>What would have happened if he'd shown a little understanding of 
Kreacher? If instead of snarling at him he'd said something like 'I 
don't want to see it, but if that [object] means so much to you, 
then just make sure it stays out of my sight.' Would Kreacher still 
have betrayed him?>>

That's like Umbridge saying to Harry "Alright, I know you've got some 
secrety society thing, but as long as I don't hear anything else 
about it, you can keep it."  You don't think Harry would still jump 
at any other chance to defy the Toad Lady and get her out of 
Hogwarts?  I think so.  Basically, same thing with Kreacher and 
Sirius.

Pip!Squeak:
>>Another disturbing instance is Sirius's contempt of his younger 
brother, who died when he wanted out of the DE's. This kid made 
basically the same choice as Sirius, except that *his* choice was 
made when he was in too deeply to be able to run somewhere safe. And 
Sirius talks of him with contempt.>>

Sirius is in contempt of his younger brother, becuase he was a "good" 
Black, and to be a "good" Black son, you had to believe you were 
practically royalty because you were a pure-blood, and believe that 
half-bloods and such were inferior.  Sirius's parents supported 
Voldemort in the beginning, but then they started not liking the way 
he ran things.  I was under the impression Sirius's brother ran and 
joined the DE's, then when asked to do one of those things that he 
and his parents didn't like, he tried to back out.  But it was a no-
go. 


~A*l*drea, who can't believe the rate posts are being made.