JKR characterizations--oversimplification?

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 115209


jen wrote :
"If I had to rate their actions on a morality scale however, I'd have
to say that Peter made a deliberate choice and Sirius made a big
mistake. To me, those are very different moral issues."

Del replies :
Oh, I agree completely !

I do find Sirius's mistake interesting, though : he made a mistake
because he dismissed someone he considered as a mindless inferior, and
this inferior showed that he could make his own choices and not just
blindly obey Sirius's will.

But what I find even more interesting is the fact that Sirius didn't
*learn* from his mistake. He repeated with Kreacher the *exact same
scenario* that led to disaster the first time. And that's one reason
why I think he wasn't a good influence for Harry : because instead of
finding lessons in his past mistakes, in his past rashness, he was in
fact encouraging Harry to make the exact same mistakes, to indulge in
his own rashness the same way Sirius had.

Now don't get all worked up : I *know* that Sirius had good excuses,
that his emotional maturing was stunted by Azkaban. But unfortunately,
that's exactly why he was not good for Harry : because he was still a
very young man emotionally, while Harry was looking at him as at an
adult. Harry thought him much wiser than he really was, and this
wasn't a good thing.

Del