Sirius as Father Figure (was:Re: How Sirius' death suits Dumbledore?...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 130706

>>Alla:
<snip>
>Yes, I DO blame a lot of his mistakes in OOP on his depression. I 
am not sure why it is so strange for you. IMO this house holds not 
only bad memories, but horrible memories for Sirius, since he run 
away from home and never looked back.<

Betsy Hp:
It's strange to be because Sirius chose to go back to his house.  
He "offered it to Dumbledore". (OotP scholastic hardback p.79)  And 
he's only been there, what a month?  Maybe?  On the outside?  And 
with an entire gaggle of Weasleys there to help chase the Black 
ghosts away.  Seems like an awfully quick slide to me.  Especially 
when he seemed so eager and enthusiastic at the end of GoF, a mere 
month or so ago.

And then he's so incredibly cruel to Harry.  For no real reason.

"You're less like your father than I thought, he said finally, a 
definite coolness in his voice.  "The risk would've been what made 
it fun for James."
[...]
"Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the 
stairs," said Sirius, but Harry was sure he was lying.  "I'll write 
to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I?  
If you can stand to risk it?"  (ibid p.305)

I mean, wow!  Sirius really knows how to hit Harry, and he seems to 
have no qualms about doing so.  All because Harry didn't want to 
risk Sirius coming to Hogsmeade?  Talk about a lame reason to be so 
cruel.  It's illogical behavior and beyond mere depression, IMO.

>>Alla:
>I found his spiral to be perfectly logical and understandable 
without drugs or alcoholism ( I really would like to see more canon 
evidence on this one, actually. NO, not the sign of Sirius being 
drunk once, but the signs of him being an alcoholic).<

Betsy Hp:
Read the Redhen post. 
http://www.redhen-publications.com/MansBestFriend.html
It goes into more detail.  There's not any hard canon, IMO, to back 
up Sirius being an alcoholic, though having been around alcoholics 
while they're drinking I can attest to their sliding maturity and 
their cruelty to those they love.  I'm honestly not married to the 
theory, but it goes towards explaining a lot, IMO.  (As does the 
Sirius is being drugged theory.)

>>Alla:
<snip>  
>Oh, and I also do not think that Sirius "confused" Harry and James 
that much.<

Betsy Hp:
No.  After their little fireside chat I think Harry realizes that 
Sirius really *doesn't* confuse him with James.  As per Sirius, 
Harry doesn't measure up to his father.

>>Juli
<snip>
>...I don't think that Sirius tries to mold Harry into James, he 
sees they are a lot alike but he clearly differences them. Sure
Sirius would love to get James back, but he knows it's not possible, 
he knows the only link he's got to his best friend is Harry. But he 
also sees Harry as his "son", someone he's always looking out for, 
and yes, someone he loves more than anyone.<

Betsy Hp:
Not only does Sirius see the differences between Harry and James, he 
uses those differences to whip Harry with.  Not the act of a loving 
father.  Possibly the act of an alcoholic or someone under the 
influence of those drugs Harry read about. (ibid pp. 383-384)

And I would say by chalking up Sirius' strange behavior (the 
cruelty, the lack of help and/or sympathy when Harry tells him he's 
afraid he's going mad, the pointless digging at Snape) to either his 
being drugged or his being an alcoholic is actually speaking *up* 
for Sirius.  Because if Sirius becomes so very cruel and hot-headed 
merely by staying in a house he hates, a house he *volunteered* to 
the Order, it doesn't say much for his strength of character.  But 
if he's suffering from a disease, or even more excusably he's being 
maliciously drugged, well... doesn't that give Sirius an out?  It 
turns him from a rather pathetic little man, kicking at children 
because he's bored and unhappy, into a tragic figure, drugged into a 
mindset not his own.  IMO, anyway.

Betsy Hp