Why Sirius Had to Die-maybe (was: Why we'll get no further revelations that Snap

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 169852

Magpie:
> This was written in response to a paper I saw at Phoenix Rising 
> (which was great) about PoA as a Gothic novel. The paper 
> concentrated solely on PoA and showed how it followed the tropes 
> and themes of the Gothic novel, including its anxiety about the
> failure of the patriarchal line (that's ultimately conquered when 
> Harry learns it was he and not James that chased away the 
> Dementors).  Hearing about PoA discussed in terms of the Gothic
> makes me think how funny it was that at the time it came out, and
> even afterwards in GoF, we saw Sirius as a character presented as a
> man on his own who was part of *Harry's* family as one of the 
> Marauders. He was like an uncle, along with Remus and even Peter.
> Harry saw him as family and a connection to his father.

Jen:  I don't know much about the Gothic novel but did happen to 
search for that information a couple of weeks ago when wondering if 
Snape would fit the role of a Gothic character.  From what I read, 
POA doesn't seem like the most obvious example of having a Gothic 
theme so I'd be curious to read that paper if you have a link.  Carol 
explained some elements present and I did think of the remark from 
Sirius about Peter handing over the 'last of the Potter line'; that 
was analyzed quite a bit prior to the prophecy as being significant 
for why Harry was targeted by Voldemort (Heir of Gryffindor).

When learning about the Gothic novel, I thought more of OOTP and the 
Blacks too, as well as thinking some of the imagery present at 
Grimmauld reminded me of "The Fall of the House of Usher" (not 
exactly a traditional Gothic novel but with those influences), i.e., 
Sirius having death omens around him and looking not exactly 
cadaverous anymore but not well either, particularly his state of 
mind.  Then there was the foreboding and sense of claustrophobia 
about the decrepit house, Harry's dream on the first night there and 
of course, the painting coming alive as the screaming madwoman; all 
elements seemed to combine to indicate a terrible tragedy having 
taken place or being in the offing (in retrospect).

Magpie:
> But then in OotP it turns out Sirius actually exists in the context
> of this big, clanking Gothic structure of his own: the Black 
> family.  And that's what got me thinking about his death. One of 
> the things that seems kind of important about the Black family is 
> it's so deeply connected to Slytherin and Purebloods. Like, if 
> ultimately Slytherin has to be integrated into the school, how does
> JKR go about attacking its problems? The obvious solution seems to 
> be that she went Gothic, creating this family with a house full of 
> secrets that is being destroyed from within. Sirius' father isn't 
> really shown, but the mere fact that his mother is mad and 
> screaming kind of indicates a failure there. Sirius and Regulus 
> both failed in different ways as adults.

Jen:  A failure, yes, and Mr. Black's absence gives a sense of the 
patriarchal figure having no power to save any of them from their 
fates.  Yet there's the idea the failure wasn't complete with the 
introduction of R.A.B., most likely Regulus, and then Sirius dying 
but living on in the underworld.  I can see those ideas tying into 
your thoughts here about Harry.

Magpie: 
> So why did Sirius have to die, besides Harry going on alone? 
> Honestly, I think it may be important for Sirius to have died 
> because Harry is his heir. In inheriting the Black House, which of 
> course symbolizes all the secrets and tragedies of the Black family 
> (literally and figuratively) Harry has become an Heir to the Black 
> family in Sirius' place. Just as PoA gave us the Shrieking Shack 
> that held the Potter family secrets Harry has now inherited and 
> taken ownership of the even more insane Black family secrets--
> secrets it's going to be harder for him to uncover on his own.

Jen:  One thing to add here: JKR answers the direct statement that 
Harry as Heir of Gryffindor is a kaput theory, and her comment 
was: '[Pause] yeah - well, yeah.'  Yes, the answer probably needs to 
be looked at as JKR hesitating to squash a theory but that's too 
boring for me <g>, so I prefer the explanation that she's hesitating 
because there is one heir of Gryffindor still alive in Aberforth.  
But what if that pause was because she knows Harry isn't a blood heir 
exactly but his being an heir of the Blacks is much more significant 
than what we've been shown so far?  

There's unfinished literal business with the locket located at 
Grimmauld but this seems like a perfect place to insert something 
that's always bothered me and is a bit obsessive-compulsive of me:  
The Permanent Sticking charm on the family tapestry and the fact that 
it's one major artifact the Order can't get rid of in the House of 
Black.  Lol, it's silly but now I see where there could be some 
significance to that - everything in the house *shouldn't* be removed 
and cleaned away as if the family never existed and especially not 
that tapestry.

Magpie: 
> On a deeper level, it's important Ron and Hermione don't feel that 
> sense of threat, because HBP has Harry alone dipping into
> Slytherin. 

Jen: I agree this was a big part of HBP.  It really was the Slytherin 
book just as I think of POA as the Gryffindor book and GOF as the 
Hufflepuff one (messages of inclusiveness).  Harry was on his own 
journey connecting with parts of himself that interestingly enough, 
he was finally given permission to connect with from Dumbledore.  
Dumbledore, who really is the ultimate Slytherin when it comes to 
ambition - bringing down his second Dark Lord after all - is  also 
the messenger trumpeting the news of Harry as a Black heir and 
starting him on his journey by taking Harry to meet Slughorn, the 
first Slytherin Harry doesn't outright detest even though he doesn't 
exactly like Slughorn, either.  

Magpie:
<snipping>
> Don't know where all this is going, of course. I just love Harry 
> almost unwittingly being drawn into the drama of the family he 
> inherited. And I wonder if that won't be an important reason Sirius 
> had to die, so that Harry would become a man of both families and 
> have Sirius' place vacated.

Jen:  One problem with the way JKR writes (to me) is she dabbles so 
much in different genres that my guess is you offered a more thorough 
explanation than she ever would!  She seems to consider many 
tantalizing possibilities that tend to waft off into a couple of 
concrete actions meant to sum up the entire situation.

So in this case, what I could see taking place is something else you 
considered awhile back, IIRC.  Weren't you the one suggesting that 
the information in HBP about the curse-that-wasn't on inheriting 
Grimmauld Place might come back into play?  Because it didn't have 
any real meaning in that situation or rather, it fizzled out to 
nothing so there really wasn't a reason to bring it up.  I liked that 
scenario, that Draco and Harry, (familial cousins if not blood 
brothers, lol) will come together out of necessity when only someone 
connected to Slytherin House can open the locket.  That seems like a 
very concrete action JKR would take, leaving readers to fill in the 
blanks of the how that occurred and what the deeper connections are.

Jen, liking the entire essay very much. :)