Sirius' death (Was Dept of Mysteries)

[mhbobbin]

No: HPFGUIDX 114890


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> 
> Mac asked: 
> > > But why is there a whole book devoted to Sirius? (PoA) What was
> the purpose of this book? Was it just to achieve Pettigrew being 
outed  as scabbers, have him escape and, moreover, in wizard's debt 
to HP? <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> I'm not sure that I agree with your statement that the whole book 
is> devoted to Sirius. snip snip snip
Sirius himself, as a character, is no more in
> evidence throughout most of the book than, say, Voldemort is
> throughout the series. He's a shadow and a threat but not a living,
> breathing character--until Harry and his friends finally confront 
him in the Shrieking Shack and we get one of JKR's astonishing 
reversals (which I should have been better prepared for, but I only 
guessed that> Sirius was the dog). 

mhbobbin:

I think PoA explores three primary themes in PoA: Harry finding his 
father within him (through meeting his friends and through being 
able to conjure the Prongs patronus); and the themes of Injustice 
and Betrayal in Harry's new world.

To get there, as part of the overall puzzle, we are introduced to 
James' three best friends and their wilder rule-breaking sides.  All 
three friends are crucial to the story line and are playing 
important roles--disappeared, dead, or whatever--through Book Five 
and, I expect, beyond.   And their stories underline the central 
mystery of the story, which (IMO) is what really happened at Godric 
HOllow and what information does it give us towards the conclusion?

Why did Sirius HAVE to die?(or leave the story for now) A partial 
answer is that it is consistent with everything else that happens to 
Harry in the story. Whatever is most important to Harry is 
compromised or removed from him, one by one, in OOtP:  contact with 
DD--and then DD; Hagrid; Quidditch; the Cho crush; easy comaderie 
with Ron and Hermione;  Hero-worship of Dad; and finally Sirius.  
Maybe JKR has a sense that her Hero cannot go forward until he 
stripped of all that he loves and is forced to grow up fast.

mhbobbin