Why Do You Like Sirius?

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No: HPFGUIDX 122404


Michelle writes:
>Probably because he is so complex, and he had to overcome his 
>upbringing to make the right choices. It's a very difficult thing to 
>do, to outgrow the prejudices that you've been indoctrinated with 
>since birth and rise above them.

We also have to look at the fact that the four of them were extremely 
good at getting away with things - they had to feel nearly invincible 
at times.  They had pulled off becoming Animagi under the very noses 
of all the teachers at Hogwarts, including Dumbledore.  Sirius had a 
nasty upbringing, he joined a club of rulebreaking pranksters, and 
they rarely got in trouble - I'm surprised his ego didn't explode.  
Nothing bad ever happened to them - the deaths of Lilly and James 
shattered his whole world.

>The thing I don't understand is why James has become a paragon of 
>virtue to some, and yet Sirius is reviled by the same people?

I think most people view James through Harry's eyes.  Harry has 
idealized his father and even seeing his father through the dark 
vision of Snape didn't really shake his faith in James.  No matter 
what James did as a boy, he still DIED for Harry.  And like it or 
not, Sirius did, too.

Nicky Joe