[HPforGrownups] Re: Sirius' declaration of loyalty in the Shrieking Shack

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 139603

>> Magda:
>> What I am objecting to is the over-the-topness of a declaration 
>> like "you should have died for us like we would have died for 
>> you". If you're going to make that kind of statement about 
>> anyone, you'd better have thought long and hard about that 
>> person, seriously considered their weak points, their flaws, 
>> their blind spots, everything about that person that might cause 
>> them to let you down in the worst possible way at the worst 
>> possible time.   
 
> Alla:
> But if person thinks abous such declaration, it loses the sincerity
> and becomes calculation, no? 

You're damn right it becomes calculation, one of the most important
calculations anyone can possibly make.  If a declaration like the
above is tossed off without calculation or considering the
consequences, then the person making the declaration is pretty
stupid.


> Alla:
> To me it is such a defining moment, which speaks volumes about 
> Sirius' character. Someone who is willing to die for his friend, 
> even if such friend does not deserve the gesture ( sincere gesture,
> if I may), to me deserves praise.

To me it deserves a psychiatric examination.  Oaths of willingness to
die are not things to be made lightly, and if they are, they are
essentially meaningless and the person who made them is not someone
whose judgement should be trusted.  And that's my problem with
Sirius: by not knowing the person he was making the declaration
about, he essentially rendered it a meaningless phrase.

 
> Alla:
> I agree, he obviously did not know Peter very well, but are you 
> saying  that fact makes Sirius' gesture less worthy, whether Peter 
> deserved it or not?

Yes, I am.  Because Sirius should have put way more consideration
into what kind of person Peter was.  If he was telling the (rather
tactless) truth when he said that they thought it would be perfect
making Peter the SK because no one would have suspected such a
"talentless weak" thing to be the SK, then he should also have known
that "talentless weak" people can break under pressure.

And let's remember: it's not primarily his own life he's gambling
here, it's also the lives of James and Lily and Harry.  If Sirius
wanted to play dice with his own life, that's his business; but this
was a bigger deal entirely.
 

 
> Alla:
> Sorry for being repetitive, but isn't the fact that Sirius is 
> willing to die for Peter contradicts your statement that it was " a
> very unequal social arrangement between four dorm-mates"?

I don't see how.  It just means that he's willing to throw his life
away very cheaply.


> Alla: 
> I mean, sure  friendship between Sirius and James was  the closest,
> but I don't think that one is willling to die for the person  whom 
> they simply considered to be a tag- along.  To me it is a strong 
> sign that Sirius considered Peter to be much more than that.

They assumed that Peter would do what they wanted him to do because
he always had in the past.  That really is the only reason I can come
up with for both James and Sirius managing to ignore the reality that
was right in front of them for the better part of ten years.  James
paid for this mistake with his life and Sirius paid for it with just
about everything he had.  But it was a high price to pay.

Magda


	
		
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