[HPforGrownups] Dumbledore's role in Sirius' death

[John Hatch]

No: HPFGUIDX 98639

Pippin writes:

There was only one invisibility cloak available (Moody's spare
was lost with Podmore) and it was being used to guard the
Prophecy. I don't agree that it was safe for Sirius to notifiy the
old crowd--it was a calculated risk that was undertaken only
because there was an immediate danger and no time to set up
safer ways of communication. All the surviving members of the
old crowd had to be alerted of Voldemort's return ASAP.
Voldemort now had the means to go after them and no need to
hide the source of his information. Once his task was done,
Sirius was instructed to lie low at Lupin's.

Are you saying that Sirius only wanted to fight because
he was feeling useless? I thought he felt useless because he
thought fighting was the only worthwhile thing to do.

And  he couldn't be used as a spy because:

a) the Padfoot disguise was blown
b) As a human, he had the wrong personality for it. He couldn't
resist drawing attention to himself -- kind of like Harry throwing
mud at Malfoy in Hogsmeade.

But I could be wrong.


John responds:

I don't think you are wrong, myself. This is what is so wonderful about
JKR's books and her skills as a writer. Her characters aren't
two-dimensional. Sirius, like James, Lupin, and even Harry, has flaws.
Sirius likes being the center of attention, he likes being in the middle of
the action. He had something to do - take care of the Order's headquarters.
But that wasn't *noble* enough or good enough for him. We saw a very ugly
side to James in OotP. At first, I was convinced Snape's memory must have
somehow been wrong. And if it was right, then I figured James was just a
jerk. But then Harry talks to Sirius and Lupin, and the very things that
disgust Harry about his father, they remember with fondness - the snitch and
messing up his hair. He was a kid when he did it. Suddenly, there's more
perspective to his character than just being a mean schoolmate.

That's why Harry and Ron stealing the car to get to school in CoS is one of
my favorite parts of the books. Who hasn't been there before? You think
something's a brilliant idea - and loads of fun! It makes perfect sense to
you. It isn't until something bad happens that suddenly you realize it
wasn't all that brilliant. You didn't even stop to consider other
possibilities, let alone of the consequences of your actions. At the time,
it made perfect sense, but later you realize how foolish it was. It makes
the characters so human, and JKR such a talented writer.

John