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

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 130760

>>Alla:
<snip> 
>The house is a living reminder of very unhappy times in Sirius' 
life, IMO.<
<snip>
>Sirius was not always at his best with Harry in OOP, but frankly 
under circumstances I am surprised he managed to do as well as he 
did.<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
I just don't think Sirius was all that helpful to Harry. Not after 
Harry returned to Hogwarts anyway.  I was cheering loudly for Sirius 
when he stood up to Molly and told Harry as much about the Order as 
he could.  But then suddenly, Sirius takes a deep dive into toxic-
adult land, that to my mind is just not explainable by, "I've been 
in this house for a WEEK, a WEEK I tell you!  I've gone MAAAAD!!"

Because that's the huge reason I think Depressed!Sirius doesn't 
work.  In the course of one week he slides from Grumpy!Sirius to the 
reckless and hateful Depressed!Sirius of the fire call?  I just 
don't buy it.  It's too schizophrenic.  It's not like Sirius has 
been in solitary or anything.  Within the first week of Harry going 
away he gets a letter from his godson asking for his help.  And how 
does Sirius handle the conversation that follows?  With a vicious 
attack on Harry that would give even Snape pause.  Odd behavior to 
my mind.

>>Alla:
<snip>
>And NO, depressed person's behaviour is not always logical,as far 
as I know.<

Betsy Hp:
Sirius isn't just acting illogically. He's being incredibly cruel.  
To Harry.  His attack is very specifically aimed at Harry. (I'm not 
an expert, but do depressed people generally lash out at loved ones 
like that?)

But what is most illogical to me is the 180 degree spin from helpful 
and supportive Godfather, to petulant and hurtful Godfather.  Within 
a time frame of less than two weeks.

>>Gerry:
<snip>
>I also think that Sirius never really got how truly dangerous and 
evil Umbridge is.<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
They'd moved on from Umbridge.  Harry was worried about Death Eaters 
spotting Sirius in his dog form.  Apparently Sirius doesn't get how 
dangerous and evil Death Eaters can be.  (Or, IMO, he's under some 
sort of influence.)

>>Alla:
>Should we really start talking about Snape here? :-) Snape taunted 
Sirius just as much as Sirius did , IMO. They were not on their most 
mature behaviour, IMO, but were you expecting Sirius NOT to answer 
Snape's taunts?<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
No, especially if he's drunk. ;)  Though if you read that scene 
you'll note that Sirius *starts* the argument.  Sirius then ups the 
ante by trying to physically intimidate Snape.  Sirius is the first 
to pull his wand, and he's the first to raise his wand.  It's in 
direct response to *Sirius'* actions that Harry (once again, playing 
the adult to Sirius' child) tries to stop the argument from becoming 
physical.

Was Snape mature in rising to the bait of an obviously not all there 
man? Of course not.  But Snape didn't start anything, he responded 
to Sirius' cues.

>>Alla:
<snip>
>And as Gerry said, I consider Depressed!Sirius  who struggled  to 
be helpful to the Order and to be helpful to his Godson by telling 
him what he needed to hear, but could not because Dumbledore forbade 
him, to be tragic enough without adding alcoholism or drugging to 
the mix.<

Betsy Hp:
I guess I didn't really see Sirius struggling to be helpful to 
Harry.  Not after Harry leaves for Hogwarts anyway.  Instead I see a 
man so self-involved he completely lets down the boy he's supposed 
to be helping and forces Harry to step into the parent role.  
Fortunately, as Magda has pointed out, Harry has a strong enough 
sense of self-preservation that he, for the most part, avoids Sirius 
when he can, and dreams of a nebulous future when Sirius is all 
better and they can live a happy life together.  (Sounds a bit like 
an afterschool special, huh?)

>>Alla:
<snip>
>Please allow me to quote Phoenixgod, whose posts I always adore and 
whose opinion of Sirius in OOP sums up mine perfectly.<
<snip of Phoenixgod post #130668>

Betsy Hp:
I agree with most of Phoenixgod's post, though I think it's a little 
too shiny.  A little too Sirius and not enough Black, IMO.  Because 
Sirius *is* a Black, much as he tries to fight it.  It's his Black-
ness that gives his story in OotP such a wonderful gothic flavor.  
And it's part of the reason I like the alcoholic theory.  If it's a 
flaw Sirius has inherited from his mother, a trait he learned at her 
knee (as RedHen puts it) it gives a nice symmetry to the tale that a 
behind the scenes poisoning lacks, IMO. (Though I will say JKR did a 
pretty heavy job of hinting towards the latter.)

Betsy Hp, who cut and snipped a lot for this post and so warns that 
things may well be out of order.