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

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 139623

> 
> Alla: 
> But I am not talking about Sirius' declaration in restrospect. 
> I am talking about what he said in the Shack, that is all. 

I have no idea what you're talking about here.  Nothing has changed
in the series since Sirius' declaration in the shack, therefore "in
retrospect" is irrelevant.

> Alla:
> I am just talking about how that defines Sirius' character for me 
> and to me it 
> defines him into very positive light, noble light, if you may.

I don't see why.  


> Alla:
> After all, JKR did say that Sirius " for all his faults has this 
> tremendous sense of honor". I would rather see the character die
> for 
> his friends, even if those friends do not deserve it,which I am not
> sure about, then see the character doing the calculations and 
> choosing his own life over the life of his friend, but that is just
> me of course


Hold on - you're changing the rules.  No one said anything about
"choosing his own life over the life of his friend".  That was never
the situation in the series and it hasn't been discussed up to now. 
I really don't see how you came up with that.

 
> Alla:
> 
> You were saying that Sirius did not consider Peter more than weak, 
> talentless, whatever and even though Sirius may have considered him
> to be a weaker wizard, I am saying that one does not declare his 
> willingness to die for your "dorm-mate", only for a friend.

Well, I'm just going by what Sirius himself says in the shack about
the logic behind making Peter the SK (which took place before Sirius
realized Peter was a traitor).  Unless you think Sirius is lying, I
have no choice but to take him at his word.  

 
> Alla:
> 
> I still think that we 
> have hints that their friendship was genuine and that Peter may
> have broke under pressure from Voldemort.

Well, I don't see it.  Peter is not a conflicted character, he's
pretty straight-forwardly out for himself and what he perceives to be
his own interests.  
 
> Alla:
> Consider - in all most important moments of their life they were 
> together, all four of them - creating the map, becoming an animagi,
> joining the Order. Do we have any signs that Peter was not 
> participating in Map creation and animagi transformation just as 
> equally as others?

Yes, we have Remus saying Peter needed all the help the others could
give him.  Since we know that Peter is not a weak wizard, we can
assume that he was a lazy one who didn't put himself out much
(remember how he tried to cheat during the exam?).

> Alla:
> And we have ONE scene, ONE, which hints that Peter was a tag along.

Yes, and we have McGonagall's word for it in POA.  

> Alla:
> But going back to Sirius , even if they made a mistake, I feel that
> it speaks highly of them to make such mistake, not lower. Isn't it 
> better to think higher of the person than such person deserves?

Not when it cost the lives of James and Lily and put Harry's life in
danger.


> Alla:
> Who knows, maybe one day such person decides to live up to his 
> former friends expectations.

Not unless he sees something in it for himself.  

Magda

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