Sirius' influence on Harry (was:Dumbledore's role in Sirius' death...)

[Julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 98975

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote regarding Sirius and Harry's adoration
of 
his godfather:

. . . [snipped] Harry is emotionally vulnerable. On the basis of a 
few fraught minutes in the Shrieking Shack he believes that he has an 
emotional anchor, a replacement for his lost family. How much time 
have Harry and Sirius actually spent together? Not much - and almost 
zero time without someone else being present. Does Harry really know 
Sirius? No. He's made a judgement based on his emotional needs. 
Dodgy, very dodgy. Naturally, Harry won't hear a word against Sirius 
no matter what he does or what others may say . . . .[rest snipped]
Kneasy


My own thoughts:
I agree with Kneasy (and also Potioncat) that Sirius has been a bad 
influence on Harry.  I've never taken a shine to Sirius.  Nor do I 
understand why Harry so enthusiastically embraced Sirius Black as the 
best thing since sliced bread.  

Helping Sirius escape on Buckbeak in PoA was the right thing for 
Harry to do.  Sirius' innocence and Peter's guilt in the
Potters' murders were not only established, but accepted by Remus 
Lupin whom Harry has come to know and trust over the past year. 

 Ok, the man was innocent of the charges, but what had Harry 
seen him do over the last few weeks/months?  Scared him half to death 
while waiting for the Knight bus, he stole Neville's list of 
passwords and got Neville into a lot of trouble (he couldn't just 
copy it down and put it back?), he used violence & a knife against 
the Fat Lady and trashed Harry's dorm, and he kidnapped Ron to
get at Scabbers breaking Ron's leg in the process.  Sirius might
have
been wrongly convicted, but he's neither harmless nor innocent. (I
wonder if Harry is influenced by Sirius' animagus form—the
black lab
is such a friendly, gentle dog.)

But while the revelations in the Shack are important, I think its not 
so much those `few fraught minutes' alone that ensure
Harry's love 
and emotional dependence on Sirius but what comes after.  
Sirius, at least initially, has bought Harry's affection with 
promises and gifts. 

He offers what Harry assumes will be a better home (with no mention 
of any responsibilities like having to do the dishes or mow the 
lawn).  He gives Harry the very, very, expensive and awesome broom 
that not only makes Harry the envy of the student body, enabling 
Harry to keep beating Draco and be the Quidditch hero.  Sirius 
overrides the Dursleys' parental authority by giving permission
for 
Harry to enjoy the hitherto forbidden joys of Hogsmeade, and his 
violent reputation serves as the `my-godfather
's-a-vicious-murderer' 
stick for Harry to beat the Dursleys with.  

Some might say that's too simplistic, but I do think its part of 
Harry's devotion to his godfather. Yes, he was delighted to meet 
someone who had been so close to his parents. Yes, Sirius wanted 
Harry, was concerned about Harry's welfare.  Yes, he listened to 
Harry and showed pleasure in his life rather than disapproval, 
criticism, or scorn, or weighed Harry down with expectations. 
Its unfortunate that Sirius is killed (or whatever) just as Harry was 
starting to realize (even if he resisted the idea) that Sirius
wasn't a perfect fantasy parent. 

I must say that the end of OotP left me alarmed for Harry's
future behavior.  I know he's the hero of the story, and that we've 
been promised a happy ending, but I worry about Harry.  He's
learned
very bad lessons in this book, IMO, and while I was relieved that 
someone finally had a word with the Dursleys about the way they treat
Harry—
Dumbledore himself should have done that long ago—I was alarmed
at the form it took.  Its set up as another "be good to me or
I'll tell my friends and they'll hurt you'' stick.   Not
a good
example for Harry.  

Moody, Lupin, Tonks, and Arthur are not threatening the Dursleys with 
child welfare investigations and the resulting social embarrassment 
(although Harry keeps insisting that's the sole source of Aunt 
Petunia's concern), but are implying violence: either physical or 
magical.  It seems that Harry is being given a message that might 
makes right and that revenge is appropriate.

Just my two cents.

Julie