Sirius laughing after they arrested him

[Lestrange]

I did a search on this, and I couldn't find anything....sorry if it's been discussed before. :)

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, right after Sirius supposedly "killed" Wormtail, it is said that Sirius starts laughing, and when he's taken away by Fudge, or whoever took him away, he's still laughing.

At first, I thought that it may be he laughs because he thinks that Peter blew himself up, or maybe he realised that he was tricked by a coward with half his intellegence, but both of these are speculation. They could have even made it up...? Who knows...

So, anyway, does Sirius say ever in the books why he laughs when they take him away? Does he really laugh, or does Fudge just put that in for good measure to have proven that Sirirus was "mad" and to put him into Azkaban without a trial? :grumble: ...wouldn't put it past him...

[djorno]

It might be because Sirius knows he's pretty much screwed, and sometimes that's just a natural reaction. He knows he didn't do it, but he knows he'll do the time. I don't know, that's my take on it anyway. An innapropriate laugh.

[eyedam]

I could agree with your second version - he might be desparate and dull because of having been tricked by Wormtail and that he hadn't realised it earlier. He feels he's unable to do anything at that moment. Those were not joyful laughter but laughter of despair.

[Barbara Kennedy]

There is also the question "Was he laughing, or crying, or a tortured mixture of the two?"

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Oh, I definitely see him laughing with tears running down his cheeks. Completely hysterical, in the not-so-fun sense of the word.

[MadMagic]

I know I have discussed this somewhere, but I couldn't find it.

I think that he was hysterical. He realized what had happened and that he had been outsmarted by Pettigrew, who he had always written off. I think he was in shock. In no way do I think that he was laughing becuase he was having a good time or anything.

[Lestrange]

Originally posted by Rowena Ravenclaw (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=289099#post289099))
Oh, I definitely see him laughing with tears running down his cheeks. Completely hysterical, in the not-so-fun sense of the word.


Yeah, that's how I always pictured it: Big hole in the ground, smoke, people running around, screaming, and there's Sirius, right in front of the bloody robes and finger, wand in hand, just laughing his :censored: off.....

[Barbara Kennedy]

Yes, the nice wizards in white robes with a full bodybind spell should have taken him to a nice quiet place for a while [like a padded room] at that point.
But of course, he wasn't. No, they took him directly to Azkaban before he could calm down enough to tell his story rationally.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

How rational would it have sounded after he'd calmed down, though?

"It wasn't me, it was Pettigrew! See, he turned into a rat, and...wait, I'd better explain that part, hadn't I?"

They'd think he was mad anyway.

[chow mein]

I agree with everyone who said that he just went nuts. I mean, on top of being outsmarted by someone you've always precieved as a twit, you also face the fact that you're completely screwed, you know no one can save you because no one believes you - so you get the whole isolation "everybody hates me" feeling - which is enough, I think, to drive someone to laugh like a lunatic.

[Barbara Kennedy]

Sirius probavly doesn't talk about the incident much because he may not have a clear memory of it either, just the hysteria....

[Magpie]

I see it as a bitter laugh, where he's finally just cracking. His two best friends just died hours earlier, and he was trying to avenge the idiot who turned them over to Voldemort. Then he was outsmarted by Pettigrew, who we know that Sirius didn't think was very intelligent. I imagine him as crying and laughing very bitterly.

[Nys]

i didn't think that he actually realised that Pettigrew had not died until he had read the newspaper while in the wizzard jail (don't have my books with me, may have to read all of that again). So I always assumed that he was laughing hysterically because he'd destroyed the man he killed his best friend.
If he did know that Pettigrew had escaped, maybe he was laughing at the stupidity of the people that we arresting, maybe he didn't realise at the time that he was going to get charged with all of the murders.

[Barbara Kennedy]

Does anyone have the quote of Fudge telling about his involvement with Sirius's arrest?
My book is loaned out right now.

[harp230]

Fudge says: " I was Junior minister of the Department of Magical Catstrophes at the time, and I was first on the scene after Black murdered all of those people. I-I will never forget itI still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettinggrew in front of him...a heap of bloodstained robes and a few-a few fragments-" POA p 208

Is that what you need?

[Barbara Kennedy]

Exactly, thanks bunches, harp230!

[harp230]

you're welcome...anytime...

[Filius Flitwick]

I always read it as a laugh out of frustration. He realized that Pettigrew was the last person who could prove that he was no longer the secret keeper. As such, he knew that Pettigrew had got him.

[DocHollidaywe]

Sometimes in times of stress and then sudden shock and anger your body will release the emotions, most of the time by crying, but for somepeople, laughing

[Barbara Kennedy]

Hmmm, Fudge was first on the scene after Peter blew up the street and killed those people....
How soon was it?

[Aldawen]

It kind of reminds me of our recent camping trip from heck. It hadn't rained for four years where we went, but on our second day, it rained from about 1:30 pm to 2:00 am, and the wind was so bad that almost everyone in the campsite ended up sleeping in his car. My family was huddled in a pathetic little nest of sleeping bags, completely miserable, but we laughed hysterically most of the night. I think it's just a natural reaction, when absolutley everything that can go wrong does, it's funny, in a morbid sort of way.

[harp230]

Who arrived next? Was Crouch Sr. there? Or how long was it before anyone else arrived?

[dumbleedore]

I think he laughed as a reaction. He'd been outsmarted by Peter and he knew that all evidance was pointing againest him, so he laughed in disbelief. Fudge just misconscrewed(yeah, I know, it's not the right spelling) the events and thought that Sirius was laughing because he had 'killed' Peter. Remember, at this stage everyone thought that Sirius had given up Lily and James and that it was his fault that they were dead.

[Barbara Kennedy]

GGrrrr, I need my book.....

[GlassRoses314]

I think I brought up this same topic once. It's good to see it back again though. I don't know, to this day, why Sirius was laughing. It still strikes a chord with me. It could be because what everyone else has said; he was laughing at the sheer insanity of it all. It could be just Fudge adding fuel to the flame of the story. Perhaps he didn't laugh, and the story of what actually had happened got played out that way. It would've fit the scene had it actually gone the way people thought it did, don't you think?

My question is: If he wasn't laughing at how insane the situation was, why was he laughing? Can anyone come up with another reason, just for cross-examination so we can explore all the possibilities of this?

[Michelle]

Maybe he felt guilty for the death of Lily & James because he had suggested Peter as the keeper of their secret and instead of crying he started laughing.

[dumbleedore]

Ok, I just thought of this then.

Sirius could never have explained the situation to the Ministry cause no one knew that they were animagus. That could be why he was laughing. He knew that no matter what, no one would believe his story.

[Cat]

Originally posted by GlassRoses314 (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=290077#post290077))

My question is: If he wasn't laughing at how insane the situation was, why was he laughing? Can anyone come up with another reason, just for cross-examination so we can explore all the possibilities of this?


It's already been said but - hysterics. Sometimes a person can become so overwhelmed that they laugh uncontrollably. It's the same kind of thing as a nervous giggle.

I believe it was a mixture of the two. The madness and irony of the situation was almost funny and the panic made him laugh out loud.

[dumbleedore]

I don't think he was panicked, not at that stage. I think Sirius always kind of knew that he'd end up taking the flack for the Potter's deaths, even though it was Wormtail.

[Cat]

Originally posted by dumbleedore (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=290135#post290135))
I don't think he was panicked, not at that stage. I think Sirius always kind of knew that he'd end up taking the flack for the Potter's deaths, even though it was Wormtail.


He'd also counted on killing Wormtail, not allowing the man to get away scot free. If that doesn't make him irrational, he's Spock with the wrong hairdo.

[Mike21]

Sirius could of been laughing because he had finally got hold of the person who killed the Potters and Sirius thought that the Potters (spirits) would be happy with him and would like Peter dead. You can see by Sirius reaction in PoA that Sirius thought that he (by him supposedly killing Pettigrew) was doing what the Potters wanted.

Sirius may have been thinking how little Peter had managed to fool everyone. He thought he was going to have a trial though but how could of Sirius proven Peter was the secret keeper when even Dumbledoor said at the trial that Black was the secret keeper.

[ArabellaBlack]

Maddened by greif... who said that in the books? Fudge, right, describing Wormtail? And not Sirius, who was really maddened by grief, and so sought out Wormtail to kill him. We know that Sirius has a good sense of humor, so (excuse the psychologist in me) he could have removed himself from the situation, which, had the events not been so serious, would have been quite funny. But, of course, I have a really morbid sense of humor... probably more because he knew that he was doomed, and went temporarily insane. I dunno

[Tarawyn]

The old thread on this was so old that it was deleted. :sorry:

I think everyone has good points here, points that I remember being brought up before. The issue is very complicated. Depending on how you look at it, this is a situation so ridiculous it would be funny if it wasn't the most dire thing you could thing of or a situation so dire that it unhinged hysteria or where Sirius could have been so bitter that he minced laughing and crying in a cry-till-you-laugh or laugh-till-you-cry moment or left Sirius with the option of laugh or go under.

I like mixing and matching here. Sirius is in the worst possible place he could be at the worst possible moment after a turn of events that was positive for everyone but him. Wormtail had actually gotten out ahead when, I suppose, he never had before. When you think about it, Azkaban is probably a kid's worst nightmare, and there really was no doubt he'd go there - as was said, there was no way to explain, and after all, the situation was ridiculous enough to be possibly funny - so you can add panic and/or fear into the mix. There was absolutely nothing positive about what he was going through. A well of enough wrong to cause a lifetime of depression coming up within five minutes, and his reaction was pushed into laughter, maybe to keep him from going under. I doubt Sirius had much if any control of his behavior at that point...

[Yavanna]

Wow, Tarawyn, it's like your proving this to a court or something, very intricate and precise, and clearly stated! Well, this issue has puzzled me for a while (I took 3 readings to figure out why Sirius was so violent towards Harry & Ron if he actually liked them- then I realized it was cuz he was trying to get to Wormtail...) but I agree that it is because he was just so distraught and hopeless that he went crazy- that has happened to me before. Not in so dire a situation, but because I just went insane from depression and stuff in 12th grade- I burst out into this insane state of laughing and crying in my English class, how embarrasing!

Another question, I know Sirius is violent cuz he wants Wormtail, but why does he virtually choke Harry to death???

[Tarawyn]

Thanks, Carrie. :)

I remember that coming up in another thread, over here (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1321). A few quotes from the thread:

Originally posted by Fuschia

I'm not trying to excuse it but people do become violent after tremendous stress like a war or prison or something.

Originally posted by kgonekrazy

Harry attacked Sirius!!! Not the other way around. Harry had him pinned to the ground and was beating him. Sorry but if you were in the position and got a hand free what would you do? I could think of what I would do and it would be far more damaging them grabbing him by the neck for a few seconds to get him to stop what he was doing.

Originally posted by Tarawyn

Harry was attempting to attack Sirius in blind rage. Sirius, distracted from everything by a little rat, probably a) didn't realize that what he was doing was painful and b) had very little recollection of who he was attacking. There is a very noticeable change in his behavior as soon as the secret begins to come out into the open. Azkaban seemed to play on his anger. Rather than losing himself in his worst thoughts to come to insanity, he lost himself in anger and would turn half monstrous, as in PoA, whenever the key to it showed itself.
- Adding to that, I think that Peter is the center of Sirius's anger. It was blind rage, making him blind to what went on about him. When he attacks the Fat Lady, slashes Ron's curtains, and attacks Harry, Peter is either there or just out of reach. When Peter isn't there, while he's watching Harry play Quidditch or just before the Knight Bus, and after Harry is captured, he's really quite rational. His thinking is muddled when Peter is there.

[jordmundt6]

Temporary insanity, huh? Maybe but if he had cracked and was using the laughter to keep himself from shutting down completely I think he would have taken on the Aurors when they showed up, but "he came quietly, still laughing." It was a cosmic joke and he saw himself as the punchline. In order to afford his best friends in the world extra protection, he put them in the power of the one wizard most sure to betray them. Not only that, there were no witnesses to back him up that he hadn't been Lily and James' Secret-Keeper. The Potters were dead, Harry was an infant, Remus, who might have provided some (discarded) testimony in his favor had been cut out of the loop because he, Sirius had miscalculated. No one would believe him now. And his confrontation with the traitor had been turned on its head. He was the only one who really saw what happened in the street, the only one who knew where Peter was if he hadn't exploded. And Peter had attracted a street full of witnesses with his cover story (which jived perfectly with the facts that most people knew) and they would assume that Black was just quicker on the trigger and exceptionally violent (no one would believe that a "stupid" "foolish" little man who "was always hopeless at duelling" could outmaneuver Black). Sirius was sunk and he knew it. The entiere situation was absurd, tinged with comedy and he saw himself as the punchline. Peter had finally gotten one over on him and had framed him, perfectly, for the murder of the Potters.

[Lestrange]

Originally posted by ArabellaBlack (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=290191#post290191))
Maddened by greif... who said that in the books? Fudge, right, describing Wormtail? And not Sirius, who was really maddened by grief, and so sought out Wormtail to kill him. We know that Sirius has a good sense of humor, so (excuse the psychologist in me) he could have removed himself from the situation, which, had the events not been so serious, would have been quite funny. But, of course, I have a really morbid sense of humor... probably more because he knew that he was doomed, and went temporarily insane. I dunno


He had a great enough sense of humour when he sent a guy he didn't like to meet a werewolf as a practical joke...;)

But, anyway, it probably would have been funny if you knew the situation, but you weren't close enough to have it hurt you (maybe he thought that when he was arrested)...well, at least I would have laughed...:sorry:

[Puffskein]

Just think I ought to clear something up: Sirius knew that he didn't kill Pettigrew, because he said he didn't have time to do a curse before the street blew up. Sirius probably saw the little rat run off down the hole.

[Weatherby]

He was most likely laughing at over how ironic it was that he was being punished.
I agree it was over greif and not amusement.

[Mike21]

But is Sirius knew that Peter had eluded him wouldnt have Sirius have said in his sleep "he's alive" not "He's at Hogworts"?. Surely that would of lit a fire in his brain so he would eb strong enough to escape?

[Tarawyn]

Sirius knew that Peter got out of the incident alive, but there was no way to say where he had gone, or if he hadn't been killed by a cat or car or exterminator. Knowing anything about where he was - impossible, so he couldn't act on it and did nothing. Peter had gotten away in every aspect and there was no way to get him back to the real world and what he deserved. One more thing to tack on to the amazingly perfect crime that might have very well happened by accident.

[Liv]

Sirius had just found out about several things:
-Lily and James had been murdered by Voldemort
-Peter Pettigrew, one of his best friends, had been working for Voldemort long before these events
-Pettigrew betrayed Lily and James to save his own skin, and...
-Sirius had been framed by him, so he would be sentenced to life in Azkaban

Sometimes in tragic situations like this, I have the urge to either laugh or cry. I was recently at a funeral of someone I knew, and when I saw his body in the open casket I had this absurd urge to laugh. Not out of disrespect or anything- I think it has something to do with actually keeping yourself sane, because when despair is all around you, somethimes it's just too much to take. Seeing what Sirius had recently gone through, I'd say laughing was actually a fairly logical thing to do.

[ponshi person]

i have to agree, maybe he was just so suprised that such a coward could outwit him

[Barbara Kennedy]

Surprise, sadness, frustration, defeat, disbelief, a whole gamut of emotions all rolled into one great aching ball, no wonder he sort of fell apart.

[jordmundt6]

Mike. Even if he could prove Peter was alive, nobody would believe that Peter had fired the curse without some Veritaserum because only Sirius and Peter knew that Peter had been the secret keeper. Sirius hung on to the idea that he was innocent but the revenge motive wasn't strong enough to kick him into action. Harry being in imminent danger was, though. That says quite a bit about how much he cared for his best friend and his best friend's son.

[Barbara Kennedy]

It seems, though, that revenge was a strong motivator for him to escape. He was muttering "He's at Hogwarts" meaning Peter, not Harry.

[Tarawyn]

It does. The fact that Sirius said he "waited thirteen years" and is so murderous, not to mention him choking Harry, implies that Harry wasn't the issue. Sirius had no apparent interest in Harry until the story started to come out, and didn't seem to have a high level of concern for Harry until Goblet of Fire. Sirius does nothing for Harry until Goblet of Fire. I don't think his attachment to Harry really resurfaces from when Harry was a baby until after he's away from Peter and Peter isn't a major concern.

[Barbara Kennedy]

His fixation on getting to Peter may have been part of what kept him sane[?] enough to escape Azkaban.

[harp230]

Yeah an obsession wouldn't be a happy thought, would it? That would definately help.

[Puffskein]

Knowing he was innocent helped him keep his powers, but he didn't see the point of escaping until he found out where Peter was and finally had a chance to get revenge and protect Harry.

[jordmundt6]

But besides that, extra ammo was that Peter was positioned to eliminate the last of the Potters and disappear. Sirius would have finally and completely failed his best friend. It was 99.9(repeating)% about revenge but there was a little bit of vindication in what he was doing as well (admittedly lost in his rage once he escaped, but it was still present to motivate him to escape).

[Barbara Kennedy]

He was definitely motivated and the timing was important, if he waited, it could be too late.

[GlassRoses314]

Originally posted by Tarawyn (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=295498#post295498))
It does. The fact that Sirius said he "waited thirteen years" and is so murderous, not to mention him choking Harry, implies that Harry wasn't the issue. Sirius had no apparent interest in Harry until the story started to come out, and didn't seem to have a high level of concern for Harry until Goblet of Fire. Sirius does nothing for Harry until Goblet of Fire. I don't think his attachment to Harry really resurfaces from when Harry was a baby until after he's away from Peter and Peter isn't a major concern.


I don't agree with this.


Sirius had no apparent interest in Harry until the story started to come out, and didn't seem to have a high level of concern for Harry until Goblet of Fire.

I think Sirius did show interest in Harry on Magnolia Crescent, and at the Quidditch Matches. And during Christmas sent him a very very expensive Firebolt, at the risk of getting found by the minstry. That doesn't really say "I have no interest in you, I'm only here to kill a rat."

The fact that Sirius said he "waited thirteen years" and is so murderous, not to mention him choking Harry, implies that Harry wasn't the issue.

I agree that Sirius's first intention was to kill Peter. However that doesn't mean he had no concern for Harry in his heart. He choked him because like someone already said, Harry attacked him, he was already weak from Azkaban, and now here's this kid beating him to a pulp. It's not fun getting beat up lol, I would've done the same thing. If Sirius was really the murderous psychopath everyone thought he was, then he would've proceeded to not only choke Harry, but to beat him to a pulp as well.

Sirius does nothing for Harry until Goblet of Fire.

Not true, he asked Harry to live with him when he thought his name would be cleared. He bought him the Firebolt, as stated above. He even obeyed Harry's request not to kill Pettigrew, even after he waited 12 years to kill him, and did the unthinkable to escape Azkaban mainly for that purpose. Besides, he wasn't with Harry long enough to do much else for him. Everyone thought Sirius was a murderer, if he'd have just shown up and gone "Hi Harry, I'm your Godfather let me help you." out of nowhere, he would've been cursed and siezed by the ministry. Then at the end of the year when everything was out in the open between him and Harry, he unfortunetly had to run and hide, but he still kept in contact with Harry in order to be there for him as best he could. Then in GoF the moment things got remotely ugly, he risked being caught yet again and came to Harry's side.

I've said this countless times, I think Sirius is just misunderstood. He has a bit of a wild streak, and that can get him into trouble at times. Ok so he slashed the Fat Lady. I know I've destroyed things in frustration quite a few times in my life. I can identify. But that doesn't make him a monster, or a psychopath, or inconsiderate or un-caring or in-compassionate.

Wow I miss debating like this. I haven't been around much and I seem to have forgotten how much fun it is lol.

[Barbara Kennedy]

Welcome back GlassRoses314, stick around and keep up your excellent posts. We need more of them!

[smartypants]

Originally posted by Lestrange (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=289077#post289077))
I did a search on this, and I couldn't find anything....sorry if it's been discussed before. :)

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, right after Sirius supposedly "killed" Wormtail, it is said that Sirius starts laughing, and when he's taken away by Fudge, or whoever took him away, he's still laughing.

At first, I thought that it may be he laughs because he thinks that Peter blew himself up, or maybe he realised that he was tricked by a coward with half his intellegence, but both of these are speculation. They could have even made it up...? Who knows...

So, anyway, does Sirius say ever in the books why he laughs when they take him away? Does he really laugh, or does Fudge just put that in for good measure to have proven that Sirirus was "mad" and to put him into Azkaban without a trial? :grumble: ...wouldn't put it past him...


As soon as Peter had blown up the street and disaapeared, Sirius realized that he was done for. He had no chance. Nobody would believe that Peter Pettigrew was an animagus and that he really had been the secret-keeper. He knew that he was going to go to Azkaban, and he knew that he would spend the rest of his life there, slowly going mad.

The situation was hopeless.

So what to do? Well, you can't do much than accept the situation, and laugh your evil fate in the face, can you?

If you haven't ever ended up in a situation so hopeless that you can only resign and laugh about it, then let's hope you never will.

[jordmundt6]

GlassRose--Bravo. Also to be considered. The fire wasn't really lit under Sirius until he discovered that Peter had positioned himself to kill Harry as soon as "the wind changed." Then it became an obsession and yes he stopped off his mission of vengeance to catch a glimpse of his godson in Little Whinging. He made sure to watch the Quidditch matches, and he did his best to protect Harry and Hermione from transformed Lupin which takes a lot of guts even as a dog. There was quite a struggle on the grounds that night before Lupin went haring off after easier prey at the edge of the forest.

[Mad-I Moody]

Personally, I think that maybe Sirius didn't even react like that (laughing). I have a baaaad feeling about Fudge, and I don't trust his account of events. I definitely think that Fudge could have embellished his story in order to really make it look like Sirius was a madman.

[zoeydsngwrtr]

Originally posted by Mad-I Moody (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=297779#post297779))
Personally, I think that maybe Sirius didn't even react like that (laughing). I have a baaaad feeling about Fudge, and I don't trust his account of events. I definitely think that Fudge could have embellished his story in order to really make it look like Sirius was a madman.


I think that about sums up how I feel about it, I highly doubt Sirius was laughing, somebody (Fudge or other) must have added that detail.

[snowy_HedwigGirl99]

Well, I personoly think he was laughing because he knew he was going to be in deep trouble for something he didn't do, or maybe he was a little drunk or something at the time...:??: I don't know. OR maybe he was crying but making it sound like laughter because he felt really sorry for Lily and James, and he couldn't stop Voldemort. That's just me, though.:p

[dorcasderr]

I can see Sirius laughing hysterically for all the good reason that have been stated. But most people can RECOGNIZE that type of laughter for what it is. The logical thing to do would be for Fudge to have talked to Sirius when he had calmed down. For those who suspect Fudge...maybe part of the laughter was because Fudge showing up was "the icing on the cake" because Sirius suspected him as well...

[GlassRoses314]

Why thank you Barbara Kennedy, it's great to be back! :)

Jordmundt6, Thank you for the kind words, and adding to my post :) I'd forgotten about Sirius protecting the kids from Lupin.


To Mad-I Moody:

Personally, I think that maybe Sirius didn't even react like that (laughing). I have a baaaad feeling about Fudge, and I don't trust his account of events. I definitely think that Fudge could have embellished his story in order to really make it look like Sirius was a madman.

I agree, this is probably what happened. :)

[zoeydsngwrtr]

Ooh, both of theose were good ideas. I can see the laughing as a coverup for crying, or he reaction of needing to cry so much he laughed instead, I have done that before.

[jordmundt6]

It could be an embellish but we've seen Sirius under stress and he doesn't exactly react like the conventional tenderfoot. But you have to remember, Fudge isn't on a Boy Scout (or British Equivalent) camping trip telling horror stories for the fun of it. He's trying to tell what he knows to an already well-informed audience. And these people aren't likely to give him the satifaction of showing the effects of a well-told horror story. And also, please remember that he doesn't think Black is insane (any more than any other commited Death Eater) He sees him as someone who has, bizzarely, stayed rational in the most trying circumstances imaginable. He's still puzzling it out. And Black's "Dark exploits' are horrific enough that they don't need embroidering to be hair-raising or make Fudge himself seem impressive.

[Goldie]

"The fire wasn't really lit under Sirius until he discovered that Peter had positioned himself to kill Harry as soon as "the wind changed."

But did Peter really POSITION himself to kill Harry, or did he just luck out? Peter had been hiding out as a rat for years before he ever had a chance to meet up with Harry. I doubt he just randomly picked the Weasleys because he said to himself, "Hey, one day I might just belong to Harry's best friend and be able to get him then!"

Saying that Peter positioned himself to get at Harry when things changed gives him too much credit. Sure, take advantage of the opportunity, but plan for it for a dozen years? Please.

[harp230]

It would be too much credit for him to go to the Weasleys, but was his framing of Sirius all his own idea? That too may be giving him too much credit? If it was completely his idea(and I guess framing sirius was), then that was just the lucky act of a desperate man. I would guess that he was aware that the Weaslesy's had a son Harry's age and that might just be useful in the future.
What if he didn't work alone to frame Sirus? How did Percy get Scabbers, let alone where did that name come from? What if someone (in cahoots with him) have Scabbers to Percy? Perhaps Sirius had a small inkling that this could be his plan? that could have contributed to his laughing. not that necessarily Sirius knew his eventual plan, just was piecing some things together.

[jordmundt6]

The frame job of Sirius could have been a set-up but we've already seen him thinking on his feet to get out of situations. I think it was mostly him. Plus, if Voldemort hadn't been toasted, Peter would have been gone there would have been no need to frame Sirius he would have found squat and been picked up as a total raving lunatic.

[harp230]

I dont believe that the framing would have been set up before Voldemort lost his powers but as an alternative plan because of Voldermort's demise.

[jordmundt6]

Voldemort isn't that circumspect and we know Peter can think that well on his feet. Better actually than Crouch can. Crouch is an order freak (inherited it from his old man) who needs to have everything planed to step 12 before he can take step 1. Peter flies by the seat of his pants. Both are largely successful. Just showing the disparate methods of two DEs.

[Barbara Kennedy]

The whole incident may have been a serdipitous coincidence on Peter's behalf and bad luck/timing on Sirius' side.
However, I am still very suspicious that Fudge was the first to show up on the scene.

[Pucko]

i think it was just a shock reaction type laugh...
or Fudge made it up to prove he was "mad"

[asfbhero]

I always thought that Wormtail put some kind of ticksling charm on him or something just to make him look totaly crazy.

[ana_banana]

My reaction to his laugh is an overraction. Nobody knows if Sirius was really laughing, but they said so cuz he was a MEAN MURDERER.

[ana_banana]

One day I will kick fudge....seriously...I WILL!!!!!!!!!!

[NeedAM!nT]

Sirius is one to laugh at strange times - sarcastic laughs. He probaly though at that moment that he was totally screwed and had nothing to live for - his best friend was dead, other friend betrayed him, everyone else hates him because they think he is a ruthless killer, and to top it off he is getting sent to Azkaban.

[Arissya_00]

Some people laugh not because they are in a funny situation- more because they are in a really screwed situation, its weird.

[Ameen]

I think he laughed because he was surpised and he KNEW he was inoccent.

[XxPadfoot7xX]

Um,now this is just a theory,but could it posably(sp?) be that Sirius isn't really Sirius,BUT James Transfiguared into Sirius?Might it have been that Sirius was the first one at the Potter's and somehow got James to switch places with him?But then,why would James want to kill Peter?Well Peter informed Voldie,and he killed his wife and almost his son.Thus him wanting revenge,tracking him down,and duling him.And another question pops up,why didn't he tell Harry that he is really his father?Well he would be admiting that he cowered his way out of dieing,and thus let his wife die.And having to explain,eh what happen in the 5th book ;),when Harry would ask him.

[Cat]

But then why did the spectral image of James come out from Voldemort's wand when the wand was spewing out its former spells?

[Ms.Sirius]

Ok, here is my theory on the laughing part. If Sirius really was laughing as the story was told, I kept thinking to myself "Why would he be laughing" just like most everyone was wondering. So this is my theory::::: Sometime in POA, Ron and Harry are in charms and have to cast a certain spell on eachother. This spell is the one class that Hermione missed because she was using the Time Turner so much and lost track of time. Anyway, after that lesson, Ron I think it was, was still laughing because Harry had done a really good job with the charm, or something like that. So what I gathered , was that Wormyboy cast that charm on Sirius right before he cast that spell to blow everything up. Or if they can cast spells while in animal form (which I don't think they can) he could have done it then. With Sirius laughing like a fool at a scene like that, he wouldn't be able to explain anything that had gone on. So ............ my guess was that Worm used that laughing charm, sorry I can't remember what the name was (if it was mentioned). Just my theory!!
:wow:

[Arissya_00]

Well, what I am trying to get is that where did it say Sirius was laughing after they arrested him??? I don't think he got hit by a charm, probably just found that he was in a really, really, bad, screwed situation.

[pavonia black]

I think I would be hysterical by then. I mean look at what happened in the past day, his best freind and wife killed by their other best freind, who then out smarts you and now the blood's on your hands. Thats why I think he was laughing.

Does anyone get the feeling he was railroaded into Azkaban? I mean Lupin and Dumbledore both knew they were animagus, so couldn't they back up the story?

[jmk623]

I would have been laughing myself. What a wonderful place the world is. Your best friend in the world is killed by a tratior. The tratior's a close friend. Your godson's an orphan and taken away to Muggles. The tratior, who was always less talented by you, outsmarts you on this occasion and throws your best friend's murder on you. The whole minsitry is taking you away to Azkaban.
Yeah, it's wonderful world where justice is fulfilled. I would be screaming with laughter.

[Amadeus]

I think Sirius laughed... because... well... His best friend has just been killed recently, and his life was doomed; he was going to be stuck in Azkaban for the remainder of his life... I think he was laughing at the cruelty of the fate and the whole situation.. I mean.. If you are in an extreme situation like that when you cannot do anything... You go a little crazy.... It was after Sirius saw the picture of Wormtail on Daily Prophet when he was truely sane.

[Juliet Malfoy]

i dont know why, but i always thought after wormtail killed the muggles, he put ..um, well i forgot what it's called. but in book 3, professor flitwick did that spell to make them laugh. so i have a feeling thats what happened.
eh, perhaps im wrong. but i figured they were learning that i the same book, it made sense.

[TheFifthMarauder]

I'm thinking that since he had so many emotions running through him at the time (grief, shock, frustration), he just snapped. The stress could drive almost anyone insane. Or, like other people have said before, Fudge made up the part about Sirius laughing, to make it sound even more convincing that he was the murderer.

[Barbara Kennedy]

Now that everyone has seen the teaser trailer (well not everyone, yet), what are your thoughts on this?

[jordmundt6]

The irony of it all. Simpering little wormtail got the better of him and he realized how much trouble he'd set himself up for and that there was no one who could bail him out except a traitor who'd just murdered 12 Muggles and was directly responsible for the death of two of his best friends.

[Kaonashi]

i always thought it was more hysteria on his part...kinda like I CAN'T BELEIVE THIS **** type of thing. There's lots of people who laugh in stressful situations or when they know they shouldn't.

[Doggy]

I think it was shock. I know that I have done that; for example once when my mom told me that my dad had been in an accident andwas at the hospital, I burst out laughing, and that was because of the shock. I think it very probable that the same thing happened to Sirius - he was shocked, so the laugh just came.

[Muggical Me]

A lot of people seem to think that Sirius knew that Peter escaped him. I don't think he did, I mean, Fudge said Sirius was just standing there laughing. If he knew Peter had escaped I guarantee he would have been burrowing down that hole after that dirty rat...

Also, in terms of his laughter.. I think that he had all but given up on life at that point, with his best friends dead the last thing he cared, or probably felt he had to do, was kill Peter. When he "saw" Peter explode himself he probably gasped, gave a small laugh, which built into the hysterical laughing fit as the grief of the day's events fell in on him, that Fudge found him in. He probably didn't even remember going with them, and didn't even care consider an alternative.

[GlassRoses314]

Yeah, didn't Sirius also think Peter was dead untill he saw the newspaper article with the Weasley's in Egypt? That's why he stood in Azkaban all that time...thought he had nothing to escape for... untill he saw that article and it sparked the desire in him to live and be justified.

[Puffskein]

No, he knew Peter wasn't dead. He saw him escape down the sewer (I think). But he didn't have any point in escaping because he had no idea where the little rat was, until he saw the photo.

[Tarawyn]

I don't think there's any question in Sirius knowing that Peter was alive - it's implied in Sirius' little speech that Sirius saw Peter transform and scutter down the sewer with the other rat. If Sirius didn't see it, how else would he know? A transformed rat would have a few other possibilities in where to go, if none was exactly friendly. In the long run there'd be no way to figure out where he was and if he was still alive, but for the moment, Sirius knew.

I haven't changed my mind about the whys... That Sirius found himself in the worst possible place at the worst possible time when he was already in a situation that he probably thought couldn't get any worse, when he was innocent of everything and no one would believe him for it, while the real criminal got away for everything he did; that's a painful and ironic situation where you can laugh at getting the worst end of the stick. Shock from watching a street of people being blown up by Peter, his former friend. He'd have known about Azkaban when he was a kid, probably a nightmare and maybe a threat given his trouble-making spree, and he was tossed into it, so some panic. Alone to make him laugh, together to where laughing was the only outset, and altogether a very bad day for the poor guy.

[jordmundt6]

Sirius knew Peter got the better of him. What he didn't know was where the little rat went. He assumed Wormtail was either long gone or murdered by DEs for betraying the Voldemort. Then, he saw that Peter had chosen to hide in plain sight (very plain) and that he was going to be at Hogwarts--where Harry was--poised to strike at the first sign that Voldemort had regained his old strength. Voila--one crazed obsession coming right up!

I actually would kind have liked to hear the conversation between Corny and Sirius the day Sirius found out Peter was hiding with the Weasleys. Why did Fudge interview him? What was said other than "Can I borrow your newspaper? I miss doing the crossword." I think it would have been hilarious.

[Jill]

Yes Sirius new that Peter Pettigrew was on his way to the potters and that he had been set up by Voldemorts DE. I think that the laughter was probably hysterical laughter because he was off to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit and allowed Wormtail to tell Voldemort the were abouts of the Potters. He let them down and now they where going to die for his failures. Sometimes when faced with that amount of pain and frustration, you, for some unknown reason burst out into nervous laughter.

[SnorkackCatcher]

Why did Fudge interview him? What was said other than "Can I borrow your newspaper? I miss doing the crossword."

AFAIR Fudge was just making a routine inspection visit?

I'll try to do a chair-of-the meeting bit and sum up Sirius's situation that day:

(1) Two of his best friends had been killed
(2) Another of his best friends had turned out to be a traitor
(3) He'd caused his friends' deaths by persuading them to rely on the traitor
(4) He didn't have any family to worry about, not even a godson as Hagrid had taken him
(5) When he tracked the traitor down, he outwitted him and committed an atrocity
(6) He was left in an incriminating situation with law enforcement wizards Apparating all around him
(7) Any tale he could tell would be contradicted by all the available circumstantial evidence

That constitutes a fair degree of mental overload - hysteria sounds like a pretty standard reaction (catatonia would be another).

[rotsiepots]

It was just an inappropriate emotional response and it's not an uncommon reaction. Why do you think people start laughing after they've hurt themselves, or guffaw when people tell them painful or humiliating stories? Cognitive and emotional responses become confused an in inappropraite affectual reponse is displayed.

[hesdead-dealwithit]

I agree. After all, what else would he do? Seriously - what else could he do? Cry? Have a sly smile? I think not.

[Gabi Potter]

I am just trying to imagine what Sirius must have felt at this point. Someone who had been his friend has betrayed him and the other mauraders. He probably felt like everyone was out to get him and that no one would believe him or understand. He basically had no hope left and was probably sobbing and laughing out of desperation and devastation. I can't imagine feeling like that, I'd probably go insane.

[jordmundt6]

Snorkack--Yes, I know it was an inspection. But what possessed Fudge to do this last bit. Here's his thought process. "Okay, this is my annual/biennial/quarterly--whatever---inspection of Azkaban. I can't stand dementors, hate 'em. But they're necessary. Okay I'm done with the normal inspection. Hey--instead of leaving, why don't I sit down and chat with the MOST INFAMOUS PRISONER HERE. That seems like a great use of my time." Fudge is a bit of a twit, but not that much of one.

[WeasleyIsOurKing]

I'd imagine he was laughing because of the sheer irony of it all. He had just convinced his James (his best friend) and Lily to put their lives in someone else's hands because he, Sirius, thought that Voldemort would never come after Peter. And then James and Lily come up dead and Sirius is blamed for it.

It's not happy laughter.

[harp230]

I agree . Sirius is also feeling the hoplessness of the situation. He is not thinking rationally. If he was thinking he should have started to yell out about what actually happened. Whether he went to St Mungos or Azkaban is beyond me, but evaentally Dumbledore would have pieced it all together.

[morgan le fay]

i agree, weasley. he laughed from irony, disbelief, and i think also part of what rotsie said, that it was an emotional response. he probably didnt know WHAT to do, and it was just his initial reaction to laugh. it makes me feel sorry for him.

jkr prolly included it at first so that while reading through PoA we would all think sirius was a crazed maniac. i think it was for characterization (however misleading it may have been at the time ;) )

[Marcy]

He hadn't had time to properly grieve the loss of James, either. I think it was just a snowball effect, when he realized that he had lost EVERYTHING!

[Marcy]

It was just an inappropriate emotional response and it's not an uncommon reaction. Why do you think people start laughing after they've hurt themselves, or guffaw when people tell them painful or humiliating stories? Cognitive and emotional responses become confused an in inappropraite affectual reponse is displayed.

exactly! Like when my DH and I got the call that a baby had been born and that the birthmother had chosen us...I began to cry so hysterically that I couldn't even breathe...and it was the happiest moment of my life! Emotional reactions often make little to no sense! :clap:

[GryffindorSeeker]

He may have been laughing simply because everything had just collapsed. He knew that Peter had just run for his life, and killing eveyone with in a certain distance. He probably laughed because that was his first reaction, and he was not in a state to argue with his reaction. To tell the truth, that probably would have been my reaction, too.

[Zachary1993]

You know how when you tell a story to someone they tell it to someone else to make it more interesting maybe that is what happened. Who ever first told about Sirius being taken away told his version. Then people added more to the story to make him sound like a mad out of control lunitic. Someone probably added in the laughing to make the the story about Sirius being caught more interesting to the madman theroy.

[giantsquid28]

It was just an inappropriate emotional response and it's not an uncommon reaction. Why do you think people start laughing after they've hurt themselves, or guffaw when people tell them painful or humiliating stories? Cognitive and emotional responses become confused an in inappropraite affectual reponse is displayed.

Definately agree. The events of the past day or so finally caught up with him and it just overtook him all at once.

[koli]

yea i guess it was kinda like a nervous laugh, but when i read it and like everything was explained i thought that the pple in charge liek fudge just added it in to make him look even worse, to make him seem evil that he just killed his best friends you kno?

[Picko]

It was just an inappropriate emotional response and it's not an uncommon reaction. Why do you think people start laughing after they've hurt themselves, or guffaw when people tell them painful or humiliating stories? Cognitive and emotional responses become confused an in inappropraite affectual reponse is displayed.

Alternatively it could've just been because he knew he'd been screwed over by the little rat (pun intended). He simply couldn't believe that Wormtail had got the better of him or at least that was the way I read it.

[drifting.shadow]

i read it like it made him seem more evil so maybe just did it to make himself look better, i mean sirius does like showing off alot.

[giantsquid28]

i read it like it made him seem more evil so maybe just did it to make himself look better, i mean sirius does like showing off alot.

But he's not evil, he wasn't guilty, why purposefully give them more ammunition against him?

[Lupin_Lady]

i read it like it made him seem more evil so maybe just did it to make himself look better, i mean sirius does like showing off alot.

Yes, he was innocent. It seemed to me, like a laugh of disbelief. He was laughing like a maniac at the simple thought that Peter could pull a stunt like that.

That combined with the shock and grief of losing Lily and James, would lead to some... odd behaviour.

[AffectedMangoO]

Doesn't it say that wormtail put a spell over him??? The one that makes you laugh?? I thought so, i cant tell you which spell because i don't know the name in english, but in dutch its gniffelspreuk.

[hesdead-dealwithit]

Rictusempra, perhaps? Not sure.

I don't think a spell wasput on him, though, I think the explosion was the last spell he would have been able to get out.

[MadMagic]

I don't remember Sirius mentioning being under a spell.
I think it has been well established here that he was probably laughing in amazed disbelief that he was being arrested for murder while Peter was the traitor who became a hero by faking his death. It was an inappropriate time to laugh, but with those kind of emotions it is hard to contain yourself sometimes.

[Picko]

I don't remember Sirius mentioning being under a spell.
I think it has been well established here that he was probably laughing in amazed disbelief that he was being arrested for murder while Peter was the traitor who became a hero by faking his death. It was an inappropriate time to laugh, but with those kind of emotions it is hard to contain yourself sometimes.

Of course it didn't really matter whether he laughed or not becuase I'm sure Sirius understood by then the inner workings of the Ministry and knew he was screwed for life anyway.

[SaveeSurpens]

I think this depends on whether or not Sirius was aware that Peter escaped. I reread that part in PoA and he doesn't mention that he knew Peter had transformed and everything before he got the newspaper clipping. Perhaps he laughed because he thought Peter had killed himself in the blast. Textual evidence to the contrary would be nice, probably from GoF. , if you're going to find it anywhere.

[Barbara Kennedy]

I think this depends on whether or not Sirius was aware that Peter escaped. I reread that part in PoA and he doesn't mention that he knew Peter had transformed and everything before he got the newspaper clipping. Perhaps he laughed because he thought Peter had killed himself in the blast. Textual evidence to the contrary would be nice, probably from GoF. , if you're going to find it anywhere.
you are not likely to find textual evidence one way or the other here, that is why it is called a theory about what happened, anyone's guess is as good as anyone else's until we get more from JKR.

[SaveeSurpens]

Well that just makes this thread useless.

[Merenwen Nenharma]

Thats a lot like me though...when I get into HUGE trouble...my face just cracks into this big stupid grin. I dunno, its this stupid involuntary reaction that gets me into even more trouble ( "oh, you think this is funny?"). Although, I've learned to control it, as I grow older, but it still happens. So maybe that what happened to Sirius, except, it got exaggrated into maniacal laughter.

[MotherBear1975]

Its like laughing at a funeral. You know its not appropriate, you know everyone thinks you're a heartless wretch... but you're not in control of your emotions. A spontaneous effort of your body to relieve the stress that is threatening to overwhelm you.

[Godrics_Heiress]

Right. He was too overwhelmed by the turn of events and I guess he wanted to do and leave something that would imply "You'll pay for this someday, Wormtail! Bwahahaha! Someday! "

[Rose Hunter]

I don't know if this point has been covered or not, and I'm not about to read though 5 pages of posts, so here I go.

I know it's a stupid reaction, but some people laugh when they are nervous, scared, or embarrassed.

My father does it, and sometimes when I forget the reason for his laughter, it really irritates me.

I do it too. To a lesser extent.

It's just a coping mechanism that some people use to try and keep themselves sane and in some control.

[Severus15]

I think he was mad with grief and that his laughter was insane laughter.

[petronus]

JK has always shown a rebellious trait in Sirius, let it be in the flashbacks or the real him as an escapee from Azkaban, he has always got that cynical trait.

So, him laughing must be his cynical side getting the better of him. Peter leaving his own finger and killing thirteen people in process and scuttling away in a swear is funny when he realized that he never expected Peter as a betrayer in thier group.

Irony for him, when the person he least expected, betrayed their trust.

*kicks wormy in the shins*

~;/*-*\;~ Petronus

[loony4moony]

Petronus- my thoughts exactly. I've spend the last four pages trying to think how to word it, but you've hit the nail on the head.
Sirius' world has just collapsed around him. That's one best friend dead (plus Lily), one best friend that he's wrongly suspected believing he's the traitor, his Godson taken....enough to drive anyone mad. And now on top of that, the real traitor (who he's always overlooked as being a bit of an idiot) has somehow framed him and condemned him to a lifetime in Azkaban, and the hatred of the entire wizarding world.

Sirius is a very intense and fierce person, and he does have (sorry...did have...*sobs*) a streak of occassionally alarming cynicism. So in that moment, when absolutely everything has been taken away from him, he laughs. It's irony, bitterness, grief, hysteria. It's 'you've got me, Peter. You've got me fair and square.' Like someone said earlier, it's the punchline of the most horrible, morbid joke.
Personally, I do think that what happened that day flipped Sirius over the edge of sanity for a bit. By the time we meet him, he's sane enough, but he's still got that recklessness...

[GlassRoses314]

I've just sent this into that site that picks a question to be asked to JKR during an online chat. Hopefully she'll answer...

[whizbang121]

Maybe Pettigrew was good at cheering charms. Remember what happened to Ron when Harry took his Charms OWL?

[DerHalfBlood]

Right. He was too overwhelmed by the turn of events and I guess he wanted to do and leave something that would imply "You'll pay for this someday, Wormtail! Bwahahaha! Someday! "
I especially like the "Bwahahaha!" Godrics_Heiress! I would like for JK Rowling to explain it somehow in the rest of the series, possibly when Sirius is posthumously cleared of all charges:). I agree with everybody else that it was either a laugh of being beaten by Pettigrew or that he was hysterical, and it was mixture of laughing and crying.

[Aramina]

Sirius' world has just collapsed around him. That's one best friend dead (plus Lily), one best friend that he's wrongly suspected believing he's the traitor, his Godson taken....enough to drive anyone mad. And now on top of that, the real traitor (who he's always overlooked as being a bit of an idiot) has somehow framed him and condemned him to a lifetime in Azkaban, and the hatred of the entire wizarding world.

Sirius is a very intense and fierce person, and he does have (sorry...did have...*sobs*) a streak of occassionally alarming cynicism. So in that moment, when absolutely everything has been taken away from him, he laughs. It's irony, bitterness, grief, hysteria. It's 'you've got me, Peter. You've got me fair and square.' Like someone said earlier, it's the punchline of the most horrible, morbid joke.
Personally, I do think that what happened that day flipped Sirius over the edge of sanity for a bit. By the time we meet him, he's sane enough, but he's still got that recklessness...

That's exactly what I was thinking. Actually, that would be how I would react. Laughter on the edge of insanity. For example, I had to go get my senior pictures done this morning and I was terribly nervous (I'm not the kind of person who likes to be in a room with a bunch of people I don't know). Anyway, once the photographer told me to sit down, I could not stop smiling. I'm very camera-shy, which makes the smiling even odder. But I was nervous to the point where I felt like laughing.

I may not have Sirius' recklessness, but I'm quite a bit like him. I laugh at times where most people would be on the verge of tears and the cynicism... I personally would have laughed if I had been in Sirius' situation. There's not much else you can do in that sort of situation, and laughter...I would have laughed. Your world's just come crashing down and it's a choice between laughing at the cruel joke that's been played on you or just giving up and crying. At least if you laugh you can hang on to sanity.

[esmerelda]

Yes, I don't think there was anything else he could do but laugh. Maybe the truth of the situation was only just hitting him then - it may have only just occured to him then that he could have handled it all differently and not ended up on his way to Azkaban. You know, if he had tried talking to Lupin or Dumbldore or something, and not been so reckless. Oh, but I wouldn't have him any other way! I suppose he thought he could handle Peter on his own, then it turned out he couldn't. I'm pretty certain I would have laughed too in that desperate situation.

[red_fairy]

Maybe the truth of the situation was only just hitting him then - it may have only just occured to him then that he could have handled it all differently and not ended up on his way to Azkaban. You know, if he had tried talking to Lupin or Dumbldore or something, and not been so reckless. Oh, but I wouldn't have him any other way! I suppose he thought he could handle Peter on his own, then it turned out he couldn't.

I agree. I guess the irony and cynicism kicked in and he realized what he was in for.

[RemusLupinFan]

I have often wondered why Sirius would laugh in such a desperate situation. As someone mentioned, his entire world had just come down around him, with two of his best friends dead, and the other a traitor. I support the notion that Sirius was just laughing a hollow, mirthless laugh as if to say, "oh, this is great, look what's happened to me now."

But I also can't help thinking that it's possible people made up or exaggerated Sirius' laughing (although I don't have my book handy at the moment, so I'm not sure if this has been disproven by anything JK wrote in book 3). It would make sense to paint the image that he was crazy and that he was, beyond any doubt, the one responsible for blowing up the street.

[Gwenog Jones]

If I were Sirius, and Wormtail just framed me for killing all these people, I would probably be hysterical and start laughing too. I'd think, "Oh my God, he did not just do that!" I think Sirius had a right to be going crazy at that time. His best friends just died, and he was about to be persecuted for something he did not do.

[grawp66]

I know alot of people who start to laugh when they should be crying. It's just a reaction that happens when suddenly, everything is too much. Personally, I really don't know what I would do in his sitiuation. If one of my best friends betrayed and killed the other . . . If I was so close to avenging them, and I was outsmarted by, frankly, a guy I considered weak and stupid . . . . I honestly can't imagine what I'd do. Nothing that's ever happened to me has come close to what happened to Sirius. Probably, I'd go totally insane.

[Classical_Wizar]

Couldn’t he have been laughing because Peter actually outsmarted him? I think it say that Sirius knew that he was innocent and because it wasn’t a happy thought the dementors couldn’t suck it out of him that the knowledge of him being happy was the only thing that kept him sane. Until he saw peter again, so I always thought that he was just laughing that Peter a weakling actually outsmarted Sirius who was one of the cleverest person in their group and possibly their school year.

[FireFawkes]

I think laughing was only way he could react to the situation. Peter's escape had to be the last thing in the world Sirius would have expected. I think he would have found it funny that after all their time together, this was the moment for Peter to get the best of him. I'd probably crack up too.

[Elf]

originally posted by loony4moony
Sirius is a very intense and fierce person, and he does have (sorry...did have...*sobs*) a streak of occassionally alarming cynicism. So in that moment, when absolutely everything has been taken away from him, he laughs. It's irony, bitterness, grief, hysteria. It's 'you've got me, Peter. You've got me fair and square.' Like someone said earlier, it's the punchline of the most horrible, morbid joke.
Personally, I do think that what happened that day flipped Sirius over the edge of sanity for a bit. By the time we meet him, he's sane enough, but he's still got that recklessness...

Extremely well put! It would definitely be one of those "I should have known this was coming" laughs. Sirius is a pretty jaded and cynical person and after all the betrayal and carnage he had experienced I think you are right to assume that he was on the borders of sanity at the time.

And it is pretty intense irony that the authorities were arresting the good guy instead and the lousy slimeball who had betrayed them all was escaping.

I would like to think as well that Sirius was thinking "Just you wait, Peter. You haven't seen the last of me and you're going to pay..."

[Aebhel]

There's something I've always wondered about PoA: When Sirius was arrested for the "murder" of Wormtail, why was he laughing, and why didn't he flee the scene of crime right away? I mean, several people have said that he was just standing there, laughing his head off. Even if he was a bit unbalanced by James and Lily's death and Wormtail's escape, he wasn't stupid. Why did he just allow himself to be taken off to Azkaban? He must have known how it would look when they found him.

[illbethere4u]

Yea i see what u mean but i think that he had worked out exactly what peter had done - then worked out that peter had framed him by turning back to a rat - and sirius was realising his fate and in shock so the only reaction he could think of at the time or only one he could do at the time was to laugh...

[Schames]

Probably. An alternative may be Peter did cast an laughing spell on him. Sirius was a first rate master, and Peter wasnt. Sirius was prepared for all the dangerour spells, the only spell that could take Sirius by surprise was a not dangerous spell - feks a laughing spell...

[dawningoftime]

On the other hand sometimes laughing is hard to distinguish from crying.

[arcanus]

I guess he laughed at the irony of that situation. Wormtail had just killed a lot of muggles blasted apart half the street, had transformed himself without any trace save his finger and the magical law enforcment turned up highly likely to blame the only wizard on the scene. He must have realized that and couldn't keep it in. People sometimes react that way when they can't see any way out.

[Aebhel]

See, that's the only thing I could think of, but it doesn't seem very like Sirius. I would have figured that he would have escaped so he could try to go after Peter another time. I mean, think about it. The law enforcement wasn't there right away, and a talented wizard like Sirius could probably have escaped. Why didn't he? I guess I could see him laughing, the thing that confuses me is that he just stood there.

[haha]

On the other hand sometimes laughing is hard to distinguish from crying.
Maybe but i just can't imagine Sirius crying, can you? I think he might have been laughing because he just couldn't believe what had happened to him and sometimes when that happens our brains try to imagine it's just a dream or a big joke. Do you ever remember laughing when your shocked or nervous? I think that that's why he was laughing. He may also have been doing it because he was looking at the tragic irony of by trying to help his best friends by NOT being the secret keeper, he had actually handed them to LV, unknowingly, on a silver platter.

[Barbara Kennedy]

:welcome: to the forums. :D

You might want to post your question or idea here, we'd be glad to hear your views in the thread. There is some great discussion to be found here.

Sirius laughing after they arrested him (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=8475)

[hollygo72]

Yup, definately hysterical and in shock.

He probably stood still because he probably felt just as responsible for James' and Lily's death because it was him who insisted that Peter be made secret keeper. He completely miscalculated Peter's character.

Personally, I do think that what happened that day flipped Sirius over the edge of sanity for a bit. By the time we meet him, he's sane enough, but he's still got that recklessness...

Agreed.

[wslyXwzrdngXwhz]

My guess is that Sirius thought that Peter was being really stupid that he felt like laughing at the guy. Otherwise, I can't think of a reason to why he was laughing.

[dobby_rocks]

Let me also note that Siruis did not even know that Peter was alive intill he saw that photo clipping in the newspaper.

I think he was laughing becuase he thought Peter had blown himself to bits. At the time he proabably didnt think hed just be thrown in to jail with out be able to explain what had happend etc. You think that could done wand spit back last spell .

[deathfairy87]

I'd laugh too. And why not let yourself be taken off? If you go kicking and screaming, that's just going to look bad. And who would believe you?

[sleepydragon]

i didn't think that he actually realised that Pettigrew had not died until he had read the newspaper while in the wizzard jail (don't have my books with me, may have to read all of that again). So I always assumed that he was laughing hysterically because he'd destroyed the man he killed his best friend.
If he did know that Pettigrew had escaped, maybe he was laughing at the stupidity of the people that we arresting, maybe he didn't realise at the time that he was going to get charged with all of the murders.


:eyebrows: This is a really good point. Sirius could not have know Pettigrew survived or was even guilty at that point, unless he was in a "time turner" situation. So why then did he laugh, two best friends be murdered is not funny, where was his desire to avenge their deaths that would have been a naturally recations and Sirius is somewhat reckless. Hmmmm.....

[sleepydragon]

Ok, I just thought of this then.

Sirius could never have explained the situation to the Ministry cause no one knew that they were animagus. That could be why he was laughing. He knew that no matter what, no one would believe his story.

I had not thought of that, and with all the snap, crackles, pops, swithching, and animagus and time turning who knows who was really there and who wasn't . :sigh: :(

[Snapeikins]

Maybe he was hysterical...or maybe he was laughing that Peter blew himself up...

[sleepydragon]

Snorkack--Yes, I know it was an inspection. But what possessed Fudge to do this last bit. Here's his thought process. "Okay, this is my annual/biennial/quarterly--whatever---inspection of Azkaban. I can't stand dementors, hate 'em. But they're necessary. Okay I'm done with the normal inspection. Hey--instead of leaving, why don't I sit down and chat with the MOST INFAMOUS PRISONER HERE. That seems like a great use of my time." Fudge is a bit of a twit, but not that much of one.


Oh, I do not know that he would not, Fudge likes bragging rights and he seems like the take them were ever he can get them. Some people think "fame" rubs of on you. Look at our own world, people buy shoes, clothes, cars, just for image and presitige. Not to far a strech to say that Fudge was drawn to SIrius cell out of the same curiousity that makes drivers slow down to look at accidents who then go to their destinations and say "Did you see that?" :td: :grumble: Sad but a possibility.... and like you said, it probably was not his main reason for being there....

[LexiBlack]

I thought I read someone that Sirius said that he knew the Peter had pulled a fast one on him. And that he was going to get caught for it and there was nothing at it. So, he was laughing and the irony of the situation. Just the fact that he would never betray his best friends like the rat did but yet he was going to be accused of it because everyone thought or assumed that he was their secret keeper. I'm almost certain that I remember this being explained someone either in the book or maybe in one of JKRs interviews.

[sleepydragon]

I thought I read someone that Sirius said that he knew the Peter had pulled a fast one on him. And that he was going to get caught for it and there was nothing at it. So, he was laughing and the irony of the situation. Just the fact that he would never betray his best friends like the rat did but yet he was going to be accused of it because everyone thought or assumed that he was their secret keeper. I'm almost certain that I remember this being explained someone either in the book or maybe in one of JKRs interviews.

I think he, Sirius, does say it later. So, Sirius of course knew that Petigrew could change to a rat. But did Sirius at the moment, the moment after the explosion and the deaths of the surrounding people, this that Petigrew escpaed or was dead. After all, there was a chunk of Petigrew's finger, and no Petigrew. I think Sirius thought Petigrew was dead and then realized that Petigrew was not when he saw Petrigrew in the newspaper because he kept repeating "he is at Hogwart's". So, I suspect, that the laugh was not the uderstanding of what Petigrew had done. Profound betrayal like that usually is a "dawning" kind of experience. Like when the sun rises, it takes time and this case time for it all to sink in. I will have to check the books and then check back....they say memory is the first thing to go...... :blush:....so back to the books for me...

[Cheri]

I think he laughed. It's in his character. It would be a laugh at Peter- not about death. He was in a rage, and when Peter actually confronted him and wormed out, Sirius found humor in it. A strange humor albeit, but nevertheless, it fits Sirius.

[sunshine1313]

I would like to hear somebody else tell the story of what happened that night, someone other than Fudge, Sirius, and Wormtail, because I find it very difficult to believe that Sirius would be laughing, even if it was out of hysterics. I believe that Fudge made the whole story up, just to make Sirius look bad, and until I hear it (or read it) from someone else who was there, I'll think Fudge is a liar.

[haha]

I'd laugh too. And why not let yourself be taken off? If you go kicking and screaming, that's just going to look bad. And who would believe you?
Maybe it wasn't them that didn't believe, but Sirius who couldn't imagine that it was happening to him :huh: on top of losing his best friend.