Sirius revisited

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 104161

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Nora Renka" <nrenka at y...> wrote:
> 
> You know, I'm completely and utterly away from my books right now, so 
> I could be COMPLETELY remembering wrong, but isn't there a comment 
> somewhere in PoA, I think, about Sirius and James being at the top of 
> their class?  My lack-of-sleep-addled mind wants to say it's 
> McGonagall. 

Kneasy:
Yes, she does. Naturally I discount this (would you expect anything else?)
My reading of McGonagals character is that she's one of those teachers
for whom all geese are swans, and in addition would use a measure of
hyperbole when talking of someone that a) she liked, and b) was dead. 
She just strikes me as that type. I may be wrong.

But I  do find it interesting that after cobbling together a long, not very
complimentary screed on the life and times of Sirius he seems to have 
so few committed defenders. Has a silent reassessment taken place
among the posters? Or is it because so many were fixated on JKR's
website and Sirius fell down the list of priorities for posting?


Nora: 
> Dementors go for emotions, which are a rather different kettle of 
> fish than thoughts and even intelligence--and unless you're going to 
> be SO skeptical (tsk, tsk!) to not believe the comment that emotions 
> are simpler when a dog, even if you do keep your human 
> intelligence....well... :)  Seems to me that that's a pretty clear 
> piece of JKR exposition.  It's possible to doubt everything, but then 
> where do you end up? 
> 
Kneasy:
Why should they be simpler? Emotions are simple -  very simple.
Anger is anger, love is love, hate is hate, fear is fear.
What could be simpler than that?
Now if you can demonstrate (with empirical proof) any differences 
between human (a self-regarding animal) and dog emotions, I'll be
happy to concede.
 
Nora
> (For the record, dear Kneasy, I will say gently and fondly that I 
> think you'll be disappointed at how the series overall wraps up, 
> based on past comments about what would be disappointing to yourself, 
> that I didn't respond to then.  Snape will have a backstory, and it 
> will be remarkably straightforward and make other things make 
> sense.   Things that seemed to be deeply significant won't be.   Sic 
> transit gloria mundi.)

Kneasy:
Could be, could be. But that won't stop me having fun in the meantime.
Theorising and speculation - it's an excellent mental exercise, helps
one stave off the awful day when one finally succumbs to the horrors
of daytime television -  or *any* television, come to that. Besides, it gives
me an opportunity to cross verbs with the younger lot.