JKR's FAQ - Sirius (spoilers)

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 114912


K G <moonmyyst13 at y...> wrote:
>> In the FAQ section under book info, there is a question 
>> about if JKR likes Sirius. She states that yes she does 
>> but that he is very fall[i]ble. When I read the answer, 
>> I had to go back and read it again.  She talks about 
>> Sirius, himself, in the present, Lupin in the present, 
>> but James in the past. 

Alla:
> OOOO, good point. I missed that. Indeed when she describes 
> Sirius' character, she says "IS", not "WAS", but she 
> indeed[] says "LOVED" James' like a brother.

Perhaps a simpler explanation is that she is discussing Sirius from
the standpoint of the portion of the story in which he is included, a
portion in which James has already died, but Sirius and Lupin are
alive.   Sirius still "is" a character in that portion of the story,
but Sirius's feelings about James at that time are in the past tense.   

-- Matt