Sirius's death again (was Disliking the next to die)

[a_reader2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 95824

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "naamagatus" <naama_gat at h...> 
wrote:
> I don't understand these conspiracy theories: Harry was looking 
> directly at Sirius when he was hit with the curse - which is 
> described as a jet of light (i.e., vectorial). How could he not 
> notice the direction from which it came? Remember, Sirius and Bella 
> were the only ones fighting at that point. It's not as though there 
> was a mellee of spells flying across the room, where someone can 
take advantage of the confusion and hit Sirius without being noticed. 
It was just the two of them, on the stone stage - I don't see how it 
was possible to hit Sirius without being noticed. 
> 

Carolyn:
Well the wriggle-space here is precisely because (1) Harry was 
looking at Sirius when it happened; (2) the colour of the light was 
not specified; (3) the battle was not quite over; and (4)it isn't 
stated explicitly that Bellatrix did it.

If you read back immediately before the death scene, quite a lot of 
Death Eaters were still conscious at this point, if alarmed by 
Dumbledore's arrival, and Lupin and Kingsley, (and probably Moody) 
are also awake and kicking. From their various positions around the 
auditorium, any one of them could have been out of Harry's field of 
vision and have shot the spell - we don't know exactly where they 
were in relation to Sirius and Bella. 

Its also a classic detective story trick - the key narrator focusing 
on, and being distracted by one event and not seeing another critical 
event happening at the same time. By all accounts, JKR is a keen fan 
of Agatha Christie and I wouldn't put it past her for a moment to try 
and fool us this way.

Sirius also appears not to be quite dead as the spell hits him and he 
falls back - he had a 'look of mingled fear and surprise' on his face 
as he goes through the veil. The AK's effects are supposed to be 
instant, and there is no mention of the characteristic green light 
and the rushing sound which accompanies it (and Bellatrix had used 
the AK several times up to this point - surely she'd use it again, to 
make sure?). There's not even any mention of the red light which 
accompanies the 'Stupefy' spell, which had also been used a lot in 
this scene, and which she had used moments before on him, but missed.

So, it appears to have been just a well-placed, non-killing curse of 
some kind which took advantage of Sirius's position by the veil to 
knock him backwards. Thrown by someone who took sudden advantage of 
whatever position they were in (perhaps behind Bella). Dumbledore 
wasn't looking for a start - he only turns to the dais after it 
happens. And as you turn the page to the next chapter, its clear the 
battle is still going on, its definitely not all over for another 
several minutes yet.

Unfortunately, Lupin does appear to be in just the right place to 
have done it, and he's the kind of person that Harry's mind would 
just refuse to accept had a hand in it. But the slowly-recovered 
flashback is another classic detective story trick..and Harry's got a 
lot of thinking time ahead of him as he gets back to the Dursleys.

Yes, its all very debatable, but no more so than most speculation on 
this list!