A Sirius Matter (was: CHAPDISC: PS/SS 1, The Boy Who Lived)

[mcrudele78]

No: HPFGUIDX 187713

> Carol:
> <snip> Even if Black weren't the suspected traitor, his rashness
> would make him an unsafe guardian (immediately demonstrated by
> his going after Wormtail and getting himself arrested)-- <snip>

Mike:
Once more into the breach in defense of my good buddy Sirius. Sirius asks if he can take Harry, Hagrid says (paraphrasing) 'No, he has his orders to bring him to Dumbledore.' So Sirius is assured that Harry will be taken care of for the moment.

Now, he has Wormtail out there, probably looking for a way or place to hide. Of all the people now alive on the planet, Sirius probably knows the most about Wormtail. He, like me, wouldn't trust that the Ministry or the Aurors could even find him. And Sirius *knows* he's a more powerful wizard than Peter, knows he can beat him if he needs to fight him.

Just because Peter pulled off the escape of the century - up to that point - doesn't make Sirius's taking off after Peter a "rash" decision. In his shoes, it was the logical thing to do. When someone purposefully gets people (let alone your best friends) on your side of a war killed by aiding and abetting the enemy, you take the action necessary. And everyone from the Minitry on down acknowledges that this was a war.

I think Sirius's actions were, far from being rash, perfectly reasonable. Should he maybe have told Dumbledore that Peter was the secret keeper and that he was going after him? Sure, hindsight being 20/20, that would have been the wisest choice. But he was ever so slightly distraught, I can forgive him for not thinking of this. And even if he had told DD, I still think it would have been the right thing for him to go after PP.

Does that mean that Sirius is never rash or irresponsible? No, I take JKR's presentation of him to mean that he often was. But most of that occurs after Godric's Hollow, 13 years in Azkaban, and being cooped up in a house that he hated, screamed at by his mother's portrait, not allowed out to fight, etc. That might make me a little rash. But I also take Sirius's words about James growing up in his last years and after school as applying to himself too. Differing degrees, sure, but still maturing. And I find Sirius's demeanor, after all he's been through, to be an amazing accomplishment.



> Carol, who really sees no alternative for DD (or Harry)
> under the circumstances

Mike:
When you take into account the storyline requirements, I agree, Dumbledore had no choice but to drop Harry at the Dursleys. I will also agree with Alla and zfshiruba, it would have been nice if he'd at least waited around to ensure Harry got *inside* the house. This Dickensonian leaving the baby on the porch was a little trite, don't you think?

Mike, still wondering what the note left with baby Harry said