Sirius' death (was: Dept of Mysteries Veil Room)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 115230


Magda: 
> > Harry loved the idea of having a godfather who was his and there 
> > for him alone.  Sirius loved the idea of having a godson and 
> > fulfilling the role he thought he'd lost 15 years earlier.  But 
> > they weren't together long enough or often enough for them to 
> > have a relationship in the present time.

Nora: 
> I think these points are all very well made, but I think trying to 
> analyze this relationship from our point of knowledge also has 
> some problems.  We're trying to work through it rationally, and 
> get down to an idea of 'what was actually there'--when in this 
> case, I think we may have to go with some sort of idea of 
> incommensurability.  That is to say, our own perceptions of the 
> relationship are less important than Harry's.  It may be logical 
> to say "There is no reason for him to have loved Black that much", 
> but I still think we have the indications and actions that Harry 
> really *did* love him, despite the lack of more obvious 
> indications of the relationship.  
> 
> It has been presented to us, through that authorial mouthpiece, 
> that losing Black was a uniquely damaging loss for Harry, of a 
> unique figure.  In that light, our own feelings about the 
> suitability/whatever of the relationship are less interesting and 
> important than Harry's, I think.
 

SSSusan:
While I understand what Magda is saying about being in love with the 
*idea* of being a godfather/godson, I agree more fully with Nora.  
While it may seem bizarre to some of us that Harry could love Sirius 
deeply so quickly, we're...well...not Harry.  

My take on this is that, *because* Harry was denied love for so 
long, to have someone openly CARE for him -- CHOOSE him, in fact -- 
was a deeply moving experience.  Why would he believe he was lovable 
up to that point?  Mrs. Weasley was kind to him, yes.  Lupin was, 
also. DD had supported him.  Ron & Hermione may have shown him this 
some, but would Harry be confident that he lovable to an adult, 
parent-like figure?  I think Sirius' coming for him, inviting him 
into his life, was a *BIG* deal to Harry, and he was overcome with 
wonder at it.  

It COULD have been just an idealized thing, yes, but I think it 
*was* real affection for Harry.  If it had all been a "house of 
cards"--Sirius up on a pedestal, not a REAL person whom Harry truly 
cared about--then when Harry began to recognize faults & annoyances 
in Sirius [in OotP, particularly], he'd have had this image 
*shattered,* not shaken slightly, and the relationship would have 
crumbled.  No, the affection was genuine, imo, because these 
annoyances & concerns didn't shatter Harry's image of Sirius, nor 
make him stop caring about him.  

At various times between the end of PoA and Sirius' death in OotP, 
Harry found an adult he trusted he could turn to for advice, an 
adult who WANTED to answer his questions(!!), an adult who risked 
his safety on his behalf, an adult who gave him real gifts <g>, an 
adult who wanted to share his life with him.  It makes perfect sense 
to me that it didn't take all that long for the affection to grow 
deep.  Again, if the feelings *weren't* genuine, when Sirius became 
surlier, more reckless, when he goaded Harry a little, Harry 
would've turned away from him and said, "Screw this!"  But he never 
did.

That's how I see it anyway.

Siriusly Snapey Susan