Themes in OotP (was Re: Angry Harry in HBP?)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 120015


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_b_desert_king" 
<a_b_desert_king at h...> wrote:

Heather:
> And what did Harry do when he heard 'the truth' finally?  He 
> confronted Sirius in the shrieking shack and possibly put himself 
> and his friends at risk (if Sirius had indeed been after him).

Geoff:
With respect, I think you are forgetting the story line of POA. Harry 
did /not/ set out to confront Sirius.

The Trio were leaving Hagrid's when they heard what they thought was 
Buckbeak being executed.

At that point, Scabbers managed to break free of Ron's grip and was 
chased by Crookshanks; then, after Ron recaptures the rat, "something 
was bounding towards them out of the dark - an enormous, pale-eyed, 
jet-black dog" which knocks Harry over and drags Ron away into the 
Whomping Willow. They get into the tunnel and arrive at what Hermione 
correctly recognises as the Shrieking Shack.

Please note, that so far, they do not know anything about the dog 
except that it has dragged Ron off.

It is at this point that they catch up with Ron who is on the floor 
and it is /only/ at this point that they first discover that the dog 
is Sirius Black in Animagus form.

(Story line from POA "Professor Trelawney's Prediction"/"Cat, Rat and 
Dog" pp.243-49 UK edition)

As I said previously, Harry does not set out to confront Sirius. He 
and the others set out to rescue Ron who appears to be in serious 
danger. They do not know it is Sirius until he "decloaks" in the 
Shrieking Shack. I am sorry but I believe that your analysis of this 
event is totally wrong.

Geoff
http://www.aspectsofexmoor.com