Harry as godfather (Was: Sirius Black's role in DH -- why?)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 179193

> Carol
> <SNIP>
> > Recklessness (as, surely, even his most devoted fans agree), is 
> > Sirius Black's defining characteristic. <SNIP>

> Alla: 
> Um, not this fan for sure. I am not intending to really argue it, I 
> must say, just wanted to put it on record.
> 
> I will surely agree that recklessness is one of the **important** 
> characteristics of Sirius' character, but there is absolutely no
> way I will agree that when I think of this character the first 
> thing that comes to my mind is that he is reckless. The first thing
>  I think of Sirius is his loyalty, recklessness comes after that
> and his love for Harry.

Jen: Oh yes, loyalty.  Dog animagus.  Loyalty to James was his 
underlying motivation the moment it became clear the Potters were in 
danger, a loyalty that extended to Harry when Sirius considered him 
in danger from Pettigrew.  Sirius could be reckless in his execution 
but recklessness wasn't his motive or greatest defining 
characteristic as an adult imo.  Teen Sirius was defined by an 
arrogant recklessness I'd say, wishing for a full moon despite 
Lupin's distress or egging Snape to follow Lupin.  Life was a joke, 
not a series of real consequences for actions.  I don't believe the 
Sirius in the Shrieking Shack was depicted as that same person 
though, especially when he took responsibility for his part in the 
deaths of the Potters, "Harry...I as good as killed them." (chap. 
19)  My...speculation I suppose, filling in of blanks, is that teen 
Sirius might have been less reckless had he experienced any of the 
serious consequences that *could* have happened from the Marauder's 
antics.  But I can't say that for sure; I'm not sure that if Werewolf!
Lupin had killed someone or if Snape had died that Sirius would have 
considered himself as responsible as he did for James's death.  Or 
that as a teen he would have realized he and his friends were berks 
as Sirius described them when looking back from his adult 
perspective.  Sirius read to me as a character who matured in some 
respects due to age and life experience even if he never got past his 
resentment for Snape or the reckless/arrogant parts of his 
personality.  



Alla:
> But of course this is the fan of the character speaking and I tend 
> to put his positive characteristics first - not because I do not
> see negative, but because I sincerely feel that those are defining,
> so again I am not going to argue this at all, argued too often by
> now. I mean, just as I put Snape's despicable cruelty towards Harry
> as his defining characteristic, I am sure you will put it one of 
> the very last ones and you will characterise it as sarcasm or
> something.

Jen: As someone who saw Snape with new eyes after DH, I'm not sure 
what his defining characteristic is now.  I suppose when comparing 
him to the Sirius character, I'd have to say his love for Lily 
motivated his actions just as thoroughly as Sirius's loyalty to James 
and Harry.  Snape's trajectory read the opposite of Sirius's to me, 
with his young self much more sympathetic than his older one and vice 
versa for Sirius.  Although even if love is meant to be his primary 
motivation, neither that quality nor Snape's petty cruelty (as I 
call it) are what define Snape for me so much as...I'm not sure how 
to say it, but his dogged determination to set right what he could 
after Lily's death when he himself wished to die.  There were many 
paths he could have chosen, and he chose the hardest one of all in 
helping Harry because he was then required to hoodwink Voldemort.  It 
was more than loving Lily because Snape had no hope of ever being 
loved in return.  I guess that's the meaning of unconditional love 
but - help me out someone, what would this quality be called, Snape's 
determination to pay for his sins IOW?  His penitence?  It's what 
defines Snape for me at any rate, whatever you'd call it. <g>

Jen, who wishes for the hundreth time that JKR hadn't named the 
characters James, Sirius and Remus because you have to think about 
writing names ending in 'S' as a possessive, a rule which still 
eludes her even after brushing up on it online.   Sirius's traits or 
Sirius' traits - anyone have the definitive answer?!