Lily, Hagrid, Snape, Lucius, Friends (was Re: good/bad Slyth/Disappointment

[lanval1015]

No: HPFGUIDX 175276

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>
> > Irene:
> > 
> > I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at the idea that with a little 
> effort Snape could have been "as good" as Sirius. I can understand 
> presenting Harry as a role model of someone who overcame tough 
> childhood, but Sirius? He is every bit as MEAN as Snape is, if not 
> meaner. He is mean to Peter, he is mean to Molly, he is mean to 
> Kreacher, he is even mean to Harry when Harry does not play along.
> > Ah, I can hear the objections, but he is so nice to the people 
he 
> cares about! Guess what - Snape is also perfectly civil and even 
> nice to Malfoys, for example.
> <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I will raise a bit different objection - being mean to Harry 
> **once** 
> does not really count for me. And being mean to Molly? When? When 
> she remarked that he is not good enough to raise his godson in 
> essense? Or are you thinking of a different event?
> 
> If we are thinking of the same one, then I would give Molly much 
> meaner answer than Sirius, frankly. Because I found her remark to 
be 
> beyond obnoxious.
> 


Lanval:
Oh, absolutely. It was as below the belt as it gets. But somehow I 
never find myself too angry with Molly, probably because of the 
Boggart scene following it so close. Poor woman. And she did it out 
of concern for Harry, even if she was IMO completly wrong. I 'gree 
with Sirius here. :)


Alla:
> And yeah, he is mean to Kreacher. I still cannot count as many 
> people as I can count for Snape.
> 

Lanval:
Oh Kreacher. No matter how much I loved his transformation in DH, I 
shudder to think what Teenage Sirius' life must have been at home 
during holidays, with Kreacher, Mom and Dad Black, and Regulus 
around him all day long. 


Alla:
> Not that I want to present Sirius' as role model, lol. But Snape 
for 
> me is way ahead in that department. Even if you include that 
hurtful 
> remark to Harry Sirius made.
> 
> Who else Sirius' is mean to? Because him being mean more than one 
I 
> can only count Kreacher and his dear old mom. Not a surprise for 
me 
> at all.
> 
> Snape, let's see. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, 
> Harry of course. And that I can remember right away.
> 
> 
Lanval:

We could of course also make a list of Sirius being "nice". :)
Mind, not "good", just nice, as in kind, or openly helpful, or 
compassionate -- since the argument posted centered on "mean" being 
a defining quality of his character.

Ok. In no particular order of time or importance. 

Sirius:
- shows real, heartfelt shaking-hands-white-faced concern over Harry 
at the end of GoF and helps him into a chair.

- gives Ron an owl, because he feels guilty over Ron losing his pet. 
Imagine.

- sends 'his best' to Ron and Hermione in a letter

- lives on rats in order to be near Harry

- calmly and thoughtfully advises the Trio on many subjects in GoF

- gives his godson birthday and Christmas presents, even while he's 
on the run

- offers Harry a home and is totally, touchingly happy when 
realising Harry *wants* to live with him

- hesitates, even as every second counts when trying to escape on 
Buckbeak, to find out how Ron is doing, to thank Harry and Hermione, 
and praise Harry (yes, in Sirius' mind, saying "You are truly your 
father's son" counts as the biggest compliment ever)

- writes to Harry

- likes Crookshanks and pets him :)

- apologizes for the fright he gave Harry the night Harry left the 
Dursleys' house in PoA

- remembers about the Hogsmeade permission, and sends it to Harry

- instinctively knows what Harry's thinking about, and reassures him 
about the trial

- is kind, calm, and very patient with the Weasley children when 
Arthur is almost killed, even after Fred gets nasty with him

- this is just conjecture of course, but *somebody* had to pay to 
feed all those people walking in and out of Grimmauld Place for 
months. 

Anything I forgot?

That's not too bad, considering how little page time Sirius actually 
has in the series.