Sirius Black: Character Analysis v.4

[Kimagine]

He saw Harry as family -- and who wouldn't fight to save someone you love? And for Sirius, the ultimate brave Gryffindor, a duel against EVIL to save someone you love -- that is probably about the only way he would want to die

... if only he'd had more life and liberty in the years before.

*sniffle

[GrangerHermione]

Originally Posted by Kimagine

He saw Harry as family -- and who wouldn't fight to save someone you love? And for Sirius, the ultimate brave Gryffindor, a duel against EVIL to save someone you love -- that is probably about the only way he would want to die

... if only he'd had more life and liberty in the years before.

*sniffle

I'll bet he thought that saving a loved one was a worthy cause to die for. He was very noble and brave, and he was willing to protect those he loved...even at the cost of his own life. He was a true Gryffindor indeed.

[maebelle]

Sirius felt it was his fault that James and Lily died. He went after Pettigrew, was locked up for the murders that he didn't commit. Had it been known that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper and that he was the one that murdered all those muggles, Sirius would not have been locked in Azkabaqn all those years and would have been active in the order and in Harry's life. Harry may have even 'brought up' by Sirius.

Originally Posted by Kimagine

He saw Harry as family -- and who wouldn't fight to save someone you love? And for Sirius, the ultimate brave Gryffindor, a duel against EVIL to save someone you love -- that is probably about the only way he would want to die.

I agree. He was not only fighting to protect Harry, but fighting against evil. I think he wanted to make up for lost time, as well. Going down fighting for what you believe in, I don't think he would have had it any other way.

[Beatifically]

Originally Posted by LOVEWEASLEYS04

I think those years at Hogwarts and then fighting with the Order were the best days of his life. He had friends that cared for him and he was able to roam freely and cause mischief and then fight against evil. I suppose the time after PoA and up to the middle of GoF were pretty good for him, hanging out in tropical areas on the beach with Muggle babes . Even though he was on the run I bet he saw that as a bit of an adventure too. It would have been hard to go from that to being shut up in his parents house.

The time Sirius spent when he was in tropical regions did make it seem like he was happy. One thing I've noticed about Sirius is that when his hair is short, he is happy, but when it's long he is unhappy. When Harry saw him in the fire, his hair was short again. It sounds like Sirius was content with his life at that point, but once Harry's name got into the Goblet, he was stressed out, thus his hair grew long.

Originally Posted by wickedwickedboy

I think Sirius was a warrior - he wanted to fight, just like Remus and James. Sirius went to the MOM to protect Harry - but he also went to be a part of the war effort. In comparison, Remus too went to Hogwarts because Harry was there, but he also went to fight. Finally James was itching to get out of the house when he was in hiding with his family. He stayed, but I imagine it was difficult because at heart, he was a warrior. That was something all of the Order members had in common - Molly, Kingsley, Tonks, et al., they wanted to be in on it. Sirius was restrained by Dumbledore, but based on who he was, it was only a matter of time before he broke out the guns and charged.

That's exactly how I view Sirius. He was a natural warrior. (I tend to have a soft spot for warriors. ) He wasn't the kind of person that could stay inside a house for months while others were out there fighting for what he believed in, and that was the cause of his angst and bitterness in OotP. He was equipped for battle, as Harry and Ron were, and fighting for what he believed in. His heart ruled over his desires most of the time in the year he was in Grimmauld Place, but when he found out Harry was in danger, he immediately went to help him. He went for his love for Harry, and while he was in battle he seemed so alive. His enthusiasm was so evident, I don't think I've ever seen him behave like that before.

Originally Posted by maebelle

Sirius felt it was his fault that James and Lily died. He went after Pettigrew, was locked up for the murders that he didn't commit.

I concur. I said in an earlier post that Sirius was imprisoned most of his life. After the night Lily and James died, Sirius imprisoned himself, despite his escape from Azkaban. This part in PoA is the best demonstration of how he blamed himself for what happened to Lily and James:

PoA, The Servant of Lord Voldemort "Harry . . . I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at hte last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me. . . . I'm to blame, I know it. . . . The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies . . . I realized what Peter must've done . . . what I'd done. . . ." His voice broke. He turned away.

He never seemed to get over what he unintentionally did to Lily and James. He did blame himself, and I don't know if he ever forgave himself.

[LenaMLovegood]

Originally Posted by GrangerHermione

I'll bet he thought that saving a loved one was a worthy cause to die for. He was very noble and brave, and he was willing to protect those he loved...even at the cost of his own life. He was a true Gryffindor indeed.

i totally agree
sirius got locked up because he respected dumbledore and i think he knew that if dumbledore was telling him to hide he should probably believe and accept it.
it makes me really sad that he had such a tragic life...
i mean, all the marauders died...so sad
sirius is probably my fav caracter

[Kimagine]

I think he also knew what was at stake -- if he risked his neck, not only would his life be at risk, but the Order would be in danger, also. And now he had a child to look out for. There is nothing like the responsibility and honor of having a child need you and want your guidance and support to bring out the best in a person.

And he certainly proved to be an exemplary Godfather.

[LinnendeBlack]

Originally Posted by beatifically

He never seemed to get over what he unintentionally did to Lily and James. He did blame himself, and I don't know if he ever forgave himself.

I think it was obvious that his guilt never left him. I think it was a major contributing factor to the throes of depression that we see him in in OoTP, obviously coupled with the fact that he was stuck in a house he hated on his own.

[DeathlyH]

Originally Posted by _Lynz_

I think it was obvious that his guilt never left him. I think it was a major contributing factor to the throes of depression that we see him in in OoTP, obviously coupled with the fact that he was stuck in a house he hated on his own.

I think it was made even worse when he saw that Harry hated never having parents, and Sirius wanted to make up for that by being an incredible godfather. I think he felt bad that Harry had no one; so bought him the Firebolt to let him know that someone was out there for him. That was a very touching moment, when Sirius said it was worth thirteen years of birthday presents; it showed that he really loved Harry as much as he had Lily and James.

[Kimagine]

The fact that it was a broomstick was also poignant when we consider that the broomstick Harry as a toddler was flying around on in the letter and photo from DH was also given to Harry by Sirius. There's a certain poetic rightness about that.

[jakeflash123]

why didn't sirius use polyjuice potion to get outside more often when he was trapped in Griimauld place?

[annie_magus]

Originally Posted by jakeflash123

why didn't sirius use polyjuice potion to get outside more often when he was trapped in Griimauld place?

He'd have to choose someone who hadn't been seen leaving the place and not returning for one. Interesting question.

TTFN

[Kimagine]

He would have had to leave Grimmauld place to obtain a hair, and no Muggle would have ever been able to find the place to stumble upon it by accident. Plus, for a man like Sirius, to not be about in one of his own forms would have been seen by him as cowardly. Additionally, he made a promise, and he was a man of his word. It was something that defined him as a person, and his character as being one who honored his friends, his duty and his obligations.

[Isla Sofia]

I've missed so much riveting discussion in this thread!

To go back to my earlier point, I don't feel that Sirius feared death in the contemplative sense either; I don't think he ever would have considered coming back as a ghost, partially because he would have wanted to spend eternity with James & Lily on the other side, but also because he never seemed to possess the kind of fear that would keep him moving forward, onto, as Dumbledore would deem it, "the next great adventure," because Sirius is truly one of the most courageous characters in the entire series, and I truly believe Hagrid had the gist of his character when he gently told Harry that Sirius would have wanted to die in battle, that he would have wanted to die fighting-- Sirius' greatest sense of revulsion was not, IMO, aimed at the possibility of defeat, but at the possibility of a dishonorable one, for he would rather have died himself, at the hands of a Voldemort furious for the Potter's secret than lived the kind of life that Peter unabashedly did, knowing that his own life went on because he had betrayed a friend, just as he would have rather been out fighting and putting himself in danger than safe and warm in Number 12-- he is the antithesis of Peter, which I suppose explains why Sirius is my favorite character, and Peter is the one I despise most.

When he saw the curse coming toward him, I think the widening of his face was just an instinctive, physical reaction, at not knowing what was to come in that split second when the light zoomed toward his chest.

[LinnendeBlack]

Originally Posted by LilyPod

I've missed so much riveting discussion in this thread!

To go back to my earlier point, I don't feel that Sirius feared death in the contemplative sense either; I don't think he ever would have considered coming back as a ghost, partially because he would have wanted to spend eternity with James & Lily on the other side, but also because he never seemed to possess the kind of fear that would keep him moving forward, onto, as Dumbledore would deem it, "the next great adventure," because Sirius is truly one of the most courageous characters in the entire series, and I truly believe Hagrid had the gist of his character when he gently told Harry that Sirius would have wanted to die in battle, that he would have wanted to die fighting-- Sirius' greatest sense of revulsion was not, IMO, aimed at the possibility of defeat, but at the possibility of a dishonorable one, for he would rather have died himself, at the hands of a Voldemort furious for the Potter's secret than lived the kind of life that Peter unabashedly did, knowing that his own life went on because he had betrayed a friend, just as he would have rather been out fighting and putting himself in danger than safe and warm in Number 12-- he is the antithesis of Peter, which I suppose explains why Sirius is my favorite character, and Peter is the one I despise most.

I agree. Sirius was also fearless and was not afraid of death, unlike Peter, most of the DEs and especially Voldemort.
That's why we see him in the forest as younger looking and much happier, because he was finally reunited with his best friends and those he loved the most.

[Kimagine]

Originally Posted by _Lynz_

Sirius was also fearless and was not afraid of death, unlike Peter, most of the DEs and especially Voldemort.
That's why we see him in the forest as younger looking and much happier, because he was finally reunited with his best friends and those he loved the most.

I also think that he was symbolically given back the youth that he lost while in Azkaban... to think, being about 21 or 22 and then taken away to a prison without a trial, being convicted of the most heinous crime that a person could have accused him of, without a single visitor or soul who believed him innocent....

[IgoRetla]

Originally Posted by Kimagine

I also think that he was symbolically given back the youth that he lost while in Azkaban... to think, being about 21 or 22 and then taken away to a prison without a trial, being convicted of the most heinous crime that a person could have accused him of, without a single visitor or soul who believed him innocent....

This is getting a little off topic, but I think at that moment's appearance that what was key was how Harry was seeing them, at an ideal moment in their lives when the Marauders and Lily were together, when they were happiest. It was Harry's ideal vision of who they were, not necessarily Sirius'.

Just as while Dumbledore's hand was intact, he still had white hair and a broken nose. In Albus' ideal appearance, he might well have had a straight nose and auburn hair, ala when Harry sees him visiting young Tom Riddle. Once again, this is Harry's vision of an ideal Dumbledore.

The truth, however, is that I think that Jo has made a point that Sirius hasn't had an opportunity to grow up, to mature. After being locked up for so long, inside he is still the relatively immature 21 year old that he was when he was arrested. He hasn't had the opportunity to grow, to mature, to accept and embrace responsibility.

Indeed, most of his energy appears to have been focused upon rebelling against his parents, rather than growing up. A different struggle to be "himself".

[Kimagine]

So you are saying that Sirius and Lily and James and Lupin were not choosing to be with Harry, but that Harry chose the people who would be his guides? I suppose this is where my view differs -- I see his family as guides, and that they chose to be there when he needed them, and since Harry wanted them there, naturally Sirius as his Godfather would appear.

[LinnendeBlack]

Originally Posted by IgoRetla

The truth, however, is that I think that Jo has made a point that Sirius hasn't had an opportunity to grow up, to mature. After being locked up for so long, inside he is still the relatively immature 21 year old that he was when he was arrested. He hasn't had the opportunity to grow, to mature, to accept and embrace responsibility.

Indeed, most of his energy appears to have been focused upon rebelling against his parents, rather than growing up. A different struggle to be "himself".

I actually think that under the circumstances he was quite mature. In OoTP he was nothing but mature.

Yes he had outbursts of anger and things like that, but that is not because he was immature, rather he was depressed for being practically locked inside Grimmauld Place.

[LoveWeasleys]

Originally Posted by Kimagine

I see his family as guides, and that they chose to be there when he needed them, and since Harry wanted them there, naturally Sirius as his Godfather would appear.

I see it the same way. When Harry asks James if they will stay with them, James replies "Until the very end", making it seem like it was their "choice" to be there and how long they would stay. Naturally the people that he needed and depended upon most would choose to be there through the whole thing. So I agree with this interpretation.

[Kimagine]

OK, so then I am wondering about this: it seemed that his parents and Sirius were on almost equal footing in their roles as guides. By this I mean, were I to be in a room with my parents and a Godparent, or even another very close adult parent figure, I think the parents would take the lead. But I see Sirius as being every bit as reassuring to Harry as is James. Do you suppose this is because he saw himself, as did Harry, as a father figure, even when they were all together?