Sirius revisited

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 104206

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
 
> 
> 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. 
 
Hickengruendler:
 
But when she said this neither of the above was true. Sirius was 
still very alive and McGonagall thought him to be a murderer and the 
betrayer of the Potters. Therefore I doubt she liked him at that 
point very much. I do think it's canon that he was top of the class. 
His arrogant behaviour during the OWLs and afterwards seems to imply 
this, too. 

That said, I agree with some of your other points. I quite like 
Sirius as a character, but as a human being he is IMO mostly 
unsympathetic. I do think Sirius has his good sides besides his love 
for Harry, and I also think that his time in Azkaban didn't help him 
grow up and that he probably had a pretty unhappy life except in 
Hogwarts.

But he isn't the only character in the Potterverse who had it pretty 
rough and I don't think his bad life excuses everything. And I just 
can't forget that he stated in the shrieking shack, that Snape 
deserved that Sirius sent him to the werewolf. I think this speaks 
volumes about Sirius' complete lack to take any responsibility or to 
see the possible consequences of his actions. I won't go that far to 
say that he wanted to kill Snape, because I don't think he wanted. 
But nonetheless this scene implies a complete lack of respect not 
only for Snape, but also for Lupin's feelings. If I were Snape, I 
wouldn't have forgiven him either. Especially because he showed no 
remorse.

I felt sorry when he died, but mostly sorry for Harry, because he 
lost yet another father figure.

Hickengruendler