Why DID Sirius laugh? (was: Peter Pettigrew, questions)

[Peggy]

No: HPFGUIDX 101603

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Barbara D. Poland-Waters" <bd-
bear at v...> wrote:
> >>>From: cubfanbudwoman [mailto:susiequsie23 at s...]
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> Yes, PLEASE, will people weigh in on this one??  It's never made
> sense to me either.  Was it just that Sirius was laughing in an
> ironic sort of, "I can't BELIEVE this is happening to me?" kind of
> way?  It was always described as sort of maniacal, though....
> 
> Barbara:<snip> That does seem odd, but I always thought it was an 
indication of him having
> some sort of breakdown. 

Peg:

I agree with Barbara--Sirius was having an emotional breakdown at 
that point.  His best friends are dead, he had passed the role of 
Secret Keeper to the spy in the Order so he's effectively responsible 
for their deaths, and then Peter gets away from him, effectively 
leaving him holding the bag for James' and Lily's deaths, plus the 
blown up street and half-a-dozen other killings.  That had to be too 
much for any one person at any one time.

Peg--not a Sirius fan, but sympathetic to him all the same.