Managing Dead Sirius

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 142595

>Lucianam:
>Maybe in the WW it is absolutely necessary that you have a body in
>order to have any sort of memorial service, goodbye ceremony,
>whatever. How strange of them.

>Not that I ever understood JKR's take on Sirius. She practically had
>him star two books - PoA and OotP - and now she's practically
>ignored his death in HBP. Sirius's appearances in the HP series have
>been sort like a rollercoaster.

>IMO she's very inconsistent in her management of Sirius (I'm not
>saying she manages him badly, on the contrary. Maybe it's all the
>contradictions that make him such an interesting puzzle?)

Orna:
I also don't know how to figure out JKR's management of Sirius.

I had the feeling, that Sirius in many ways had no body – he is 
mentioned for his motorbike – in PS, then in PoA, even though, he is 
the main figure – we get a distorted picture of him – a mass-
murderer, viciously entering Hogwarts, and mostly disguised as a 
dog. Or - the Potter's best man, friend - he seems always defined by 
his relation to somebody/something else. There are a few minutes, 
where he is human, lovable, those few minutes, where Harry can dream 
of leaving the Dursleys. And then he is on the run again, featured 
only by his notes. In the OotP, he his captive in his family-house, 
which serve as headquarters - but he is again out of focus. 
Ironically, when he appears in full focus - it is in a false vision, 
luring him to his death. Featuring outside – he appears as a dog on 
the platform, or as a head in the common-room fire. Once he leaves 
his place and appears whole, human and vigorous – he dies – without 
leaving a body, a funeral, a memorial ceremony.

As if for some reason JKR doesn't give Sirius the full power to be 
alive for himself , and so his death can't be fully acknowledged.

Actually, it features well with his tragic place in his family 
picture – he doesn't belong (to the set), is wiped of the picture.

Orna