[HPforGrownups] Re: Moving to Sirius? (was: Lily died before James? - No Room for Error)

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 103398

Mandy said

It more the fact that Siurus Black was an immature, petulant, 
selfish, arrogant, hypocritical, angry, sad and lonely boy who never 
really grew up that's often discussed by those of us who really don't 
like him.    

Of course, that is what makes Sirius such a fascinating character, 
along with Snape. It's their faults that make them so intriguing.  

Mandy, who though that seeing Gary Oldman play him on screen might 
have changed my mind but, fortunately, no.

Sherry

But Sirius never had the chance to grow up.  He was in prison from a young
age, during a time when young adult men mature a lot.  He didn't have the
experiences in life that would have made him mature.  He was being tormented
by dementors, when he should have been raising hell, working, dating,
getting married ... all that.  i've just been reading POA again with a
friend.  We read it chapter by chapter, and comment to each other through
email on all the details that strike us, serious or funny or anything.
We've just finished all the chapters in the shrieking shack.  I have come to
have an even greater respect for Sirius than I did before.  He would have
sacrificed anything for Harry.  Even his impulsiveness was thought out, so
that he could help Harry.  He took his role as guardian very much to heart,
and it seems to have matured him more than anything else could have done.  I
see him as more tragic than ever now.  Even after escaping, he was forced to
live on the run, in hiding, not able to actively help the order, when his
personality so cries out to take action.  I am sadder than ever now that he
was killed, because he was really all Harry had.  Sure Harry has the whole
wizarding world interested in him as the boy who lived, he's got his
friends, the Weasleys, Dumbledore, but Sirius was the only parental figure
he'd had since he was a little over a year old, and he tried to be a good
one, even though as all parents, he did fail.  

My dad married my mom when he was 17.  He went through several marriages,
but he never grew up, not till a few years before he died of cancer at age
57.  He and my mom had children soon after their marriage, broke up, dad
remarried ... he never had the time he should have had to mature from being
a teenager to a man.  He was responsible in the sense of working and giving
his family--families--a comfortable living, but inside he was still very
much a boy.  That's kind of how I see Sirius.  Different experience, but
same result.

Sherry G