Sirius reservations

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 79928

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, B Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
 
> Swim back to the mainland? In that physical condition? The 
Lexicon  places Azkaban  in the middle of the North Sea, not 
Hogwarts lake. It's at least 100 miles from shore.

One must go to the source, in this case the Scholastic Interview 
of February 2000. Rowling is asked "Where is Azkaban" and 
replies, "In the north of the North Sea. A very cold sea" Nothing 
about a hundred mile swim there. 

Wizards are pretty tough. We know they can endure an hour long 
immersion in a Scottish loch in the middle of February.  The 
water in Loch Ness, for example, averages 42 degrees 
Fahrenheit. And a big black dog has probably got some Newfie 
in him. They were bred to rescue fishermen from icy waters, 
IRRC. Add that to Rowling's usual vagueness about geography 
(is Myrtle's bathroom on the first floor or the second?) and I think 
the logistics of the escape are about as well explained as 
anything else.


> Since when have Animagi been able to communicate with 
other animals as  Sirius said he did with Crookshanks? Even as 
a dog, can he talk cat? <

Sirius does say he had trouble making Crookshanks 
understand him. But as for Animagi communicating with other 
animals, I refer you to GoF ch. 33.

Voldemort: "He sought me in the country where it had long been 
rumoured I was hiding... helped, of course, by the rats he met 
along the way. Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you 
not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was place, 
deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided.."

> Hermione is the closest to Crookshanks and she doesn't have 
this level of understanding or communication. How come Sirius 
does?<

Perhaps she's never tried. Maybe she feels it's unfair, like giving 
orders to House Elves. Ron's pretty sharp with her about her 
inability to control her pet. Obviously he expects her to do better. 
Neither is he skeptical about Sirius's account . Hedwig is 
certainly capable of carrying out quite involved commands for 
Harry.



> 
> "I've been living in the forest ever since.."
> Nearly an entire school year. With no problems from 
Acromantula,  Centaurs, Werewolves or other friendly forest folk. 
Hagrid never  noticed either, despite being the forest expert. Still, 
it explains his  gaunt and hairy look.<

As Sirius says, "I doubt any students ever found out more about 
the Hogwarts grounds...than we did." Sirius was familiar with the 
Forest from his Marauder days, and had plenty of experience at 
avoiding Hagrid.

> Needless to say -  I have a theory. Well, a partial theory. What if 
> Sirius is not just an Animagus but also an unwitting catspaw. 
Maybe he  was sprung from Azkaban - 'accidentally'  let loose by 
the influence of  friends of You-know-who in the Ministry and hotly 
pursued by Dementors.  The Ministry instructs Dementors after 
all. And what  a coincidence! We think Black will be around 
Hogwarts, just where Harry is!   But the  Dementors have 
modified orders. Don't worry about Black - Get Potter!<

Umbridge hasn't got the imagination to be a Death Eater. 
ESE!Lupin, on the other hand...<g>

Pippin
who thinks the reader is supposed to like Sirius, but not quite as 
much as Harry does