James' essence/ a bit of Snape/Lily speculation WAS: Re: Choice and Essentialism

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 154010

a_svirn:
> > Precisely. Also for me at least Sirius's statement rings hollow 
> > because he tries to find excuse for something inexcusable. It 
> > doesn't matter whether or not James hated the Dark Arts. His 
> > aversion to every thing Dark did not give him the licence to act 
as 
> > he did. The fact that Sirius brought James's hatred to the Dark 
Arts 
> > in such a context makes his claim less believable.

Alla:
*(snip)*
> I don't see propensity to lie as Sirius character trait. I 
> do NOT buy it as justification, but I sure buy it as a factual 
> assertion.

Ceridwen:
I think that it was something to say to get Harry from being so 
upset, and to try and repair the damaged image he had of his father 
after the Penseive scene.  I think that was the context, something 
that Harry could grasp hold of, something *like Harry* that Harry 
could claim as good and noble about his father after something so 
uncomfortable.  Harry is in a sad position of not knowing his 
parents, so he has no other context than what he is shown or told.

James's hatred of the Dark Arts of course had little or nothing to 
do with the Penseive scene.  It was deliberate misdirection by 
Sirius.  It was probably true, just not applicable.  At this point, 
I don't think Sirius's credibility was damaged for trying to 
redirect Harry and boost his esteem of his father again.

Ceridwen.