CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Chapter Thirty seven - The lost prophecy

[cleverestwitchofherage]

No: HPFGUIDX 124081



Dumbledore 11214:
> 2. Harry blames himself for Sirius's death. Do you?
> 5.  Dumbledore blames himself for Sirius death. Do you?

Cleverwitch:
Well, I blame Bellatrix and Voldemort for Sirius's death, although 
Harry, Dumbledore, and Sirius himself (and perhaps Snape, to some 
extent--more about this later) bear some of the responsibility. But 
most of all, I blame that little toe-rag Kreacher. I don't give a 
tinker's dam for how miserable his life has been. Tough nougies. He 
set Sirius up, and I hope he gets his wish and has his head hung up 
on the wall of Number 12 Grimauld Place, and that Harry uses it for 
a dart board. Yes, I know Dumbledore and Hermione make excuses for 
him, but I seriously doubt any show of kindness would have altered 
his allegiance or his behavior. Look at the way he responds to 
Hermione's words and acts of kindness. I really hope something 
horrible happens to him.

That being ranted, now about Snape. Although Dumbledore tells Harry 
that Snape told Sirius to stay put, and although Sirius probably 
would have insisted on joining the other Order members in trying to 
save Harry anyway, I hold Snape at least partly responsible. He 
earlier called Sirius a coward and taunted him for "hiding in his 
mother's house" while others risked their lives. Telling Sirius to 
stay now, not to go to the ministry, would, in my humble (not!) 
opinion still have raised the echo of those unkind words uttered at 
Christmas, even if Snape were sincere and did not sneer or suggest 
this time that staying home was not being cowardly. And we have 
no "canon" (I hate that word!), no "textual evidence" (better) to 
indicate HOW he advised Sirius to stay. I can easily hear Snape 
continuing to taunt Sirius, albeit subtly, while advising him to 
wait for Dumbledore--something like, "Someone needs to stay here, to 
tell Dumbledore what has happened. Why don't YOU do that, Black? 
Since staying put seems to be what you do best, and I know you like 
to feel useful. Going to the ministry will be dangerous; someone 
might get...hurt. We wouldn't want that person to be...you, would 
we?"

Cleverwitch