JKR characterizations--oversimplification?

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 115258


Magda snipped:

Yes...until those actions mean he has to be nice to someone he
doesn't like (Kreacher, Snape), or that he has to do something he
doesn't want to do (fight in the MoM rather than grab Harry and run
to ensure that he'd be safe - I mean, yelling at Harry to run when he
knows that Harry doesn't know his way around the MoM and might run
into another group of DE's - get a brain, Sirius!), or that he has to
suck up his own disappointment because of the greater good (being
pouty in 12GP and letting everyone know about it by sulking with
Buckbeak for hours on end) or think in advance of what effect his
talk or actions will have on Harry ("you're less like your father
than I thought").

Sirius talks a better game than he walks.

Snow:
I don't know about that last statement. If Sirius hadn't approved so 
profoundly of starting a group to teach and learn defense against the 
dark arts the children would have all died at the Ministry. All of 
Harry's friends or stalkers (Luna) would have still gone with Harry 
that night but much less knowledgeable if it hadn't been for Sirius's 
enthusiasm over the need for all of them to be aware of what they may 
be facing outside of Hogwarts. In a way Sirius was the reason the 
children were able to learn to defend themselves. Sirius had 
convinced Harry that sometimes when faced with a choice of taking the 
easy rode of obeying the rules so as not to get into trouble at 
school you have placed yourself and others in more danger by not 
taking a risk in which you might save many. 

As for other qualities that Sirius has shown, the one that came to 
mind after reading your post was when Mr. Weasley was bitten and the 
twins were adamant over going to their fathers side, Fred had spouted 
to Sirius that it was easy for him to say that there were things 
worth dying for because he didn't see Sirius risking his neck. Sirius 
was obviously hurt by this comment from Fred but had a very mature 
and consoling attitude towards him all the same. To me that shows 
great strength of character not to have carried on in a ranting 
behavior after just having his ego slam-dunked by a child. Sirius had 
received this same type of criticism to his worthlessness from Molly 
when she stated that it was difficult for Sirius to raise Harry while 
being imprisoned. Sirius's reaction to Molly was quite different from 
that with Fred. Both instances cut Sirius and promoted more feeling 
of despair and depression for Sirius but with Fred Sirius overcame 
his own feelings and consoled Fred and his siblings. 

Another example where Sirius had put his own feelings and desires 
aside was when Harry asked Sirius if he could live with him if all 
did not go well at the hearing. Sirius would have liked nothing 
better than to have Harry with him always and yet Sirius knew that 
Harry could not live with him because the muggle family had 
protection from blood for Harry. All Sirius could say was we'll see 
but he knew in his heart it would never be. Sirius knows what was 
right for Harry and put his own feelings aside, which only deepened 
his depression of feeling worthless. 

In the end I think we will find that Sirius made a conscious 
sacrifice to and for Harry. Sirius had harbored such guilt over the 
death of James that he felt an obligation over and above the love he 
had for his godson, which would have caused him to act irrationally 
when it came to anyone interfering, good or bad, with anything 
concerning Harry. Molly's good intentions for Harry's well being were 
as condoned by Sirius as much as Snape's less than enthusiastic 
attitude towards teaching Harry Occlumency. Sirius was as 
overprotective of Harry as a bear with its cub. Sirius's attitude 
towards Snape was only ever indifferent when it came to Harry. Sirius 
did say that he was a berk for the way he had acted and also that he 
was not proud of the way he acted concerning the pencieve scene. 
Sirius does show a reluctance to believe that Snape had truly changed 
but most of the readers also have the same attitude towards Snape's 
true intensions. Why would anyone criticize Sirius, who knows about 
as much as we the readers, for being cautious concerning Snape who 
was once a death eater?   

When it comes down to it the author says it best:
Do you like Sirius Black?
Sirius's great redeeming quality is how much affection he is capable 
of feeling. He loved James like a brother and he went on to transfer 
that attachment to Harry.

With all Sirius's faults his redeeming quality was his affection. 

Snow