[HPforGrownups] Re: Sirius revisited

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 104432

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> Even in Potterverse, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. If JKR 
tells 
> me Pettigrew turns into a rat when he transforms, then we find out 
> he ratted out his friends, well that's enough information for me to 
> decide what Sirius' character is (and wonder why they never 
> suspected Pettigrew was the spy?). He can be ferocious, and might 
go 
> bad if provoked enough, but Sirius' true form is innately loyal and 
> eager to please.
> 
> Jen, loyal member of the Sirius Protection League

Carolyn:
Your point about Sirius-the-dog is well made, and I have often 
thought it myself. His essential nature seems to be all about pack 
loyalty to a leader, ferocious savagery if attacked, bounding about 
after sticks when he's happy. Not super-bright, but man's best friend 
and all that.

I can  see even the Shrieking Shack incident in this light - an 
opportunity to attack an enemy of his pack leader, James, coupled 
with a brattish teenage indifference to the consequences, and WW 
robustness about dangerous pastimes. And I'm sure he never really 
regretted his actions that night, or understood what all the fuss was 
about.


Sherry now

I'm so surprised I never thought about this before!  I am particularly fond
of dogs--and cats--but I am also very fond of Sirius.  Yet, I never thought
of the significance of his animagus form.  I should have. I trust my life to
a dog every single day.  I have used guide dogs for almost 30 years now.
Dogs are incredibly loyal to their pack leader, will die to protect the pack
are very bright.  Their intelligence is different than ours, but for
instance, my guides have been trained not only how to obey my commands and
guide me safely, but how to disobey a command, if it is not safe to do so.
If I tell my dog forward to cross a street, and a car pulls in front of us,
she will refuse to go.  This is very complex thinking process for a dog.  My
dog can be rash and reckless, too.  I live with friends who have kids, an
even though she gets in trouble when she eats crayons, or picks up food from
the floor, she still does it from time to time, because she's a dog and
that's what they do.  We are also taught by our guide dog trainers, that how
our dogs behave when working is totally different than how they may behave
without the harness.  We must be very careful never to let them off leash in
an unfenced area.  A guide who will keep their handler from being hit by a
car while guiding, might get excited off leash and run right into the street
after a ball or something, even though a car is coming!  (Sounds kind of
like the rash behavior Sirius shows at times.) However, when her working
harness goes on, she's attentive and focused, doing what's expected of her
and ensuring that both of us are safe as we travel.  It's my job as pack
leader to make sure she is healthy and well cared for, to give her clear and
concise directions, so that she can obey and do her job properly, then it is
her job to make sure that our little pack of two is safe enough to obey the
directions I give.

Anyway, dogs are extremely faithful and loyal.  They will die to protect
their pack.  Now that it's been pointed out to me, it seems so clear that
this is much of Sirius' character.  Even his behavior in OOTP can be related
to the fact of being cooped up so much.  It would drive any dog crazy.  They
need to get exercise and will act up dreadfully if they don't!  I ought to
know.

Sherry G