Harry Potter Stuff

[mamadeb]

So.

I'm kinda pushing my way through Cybele's The Boy Cannot Know, which is not easy considering my teacher/student squick and the greater one about a man being sexually attracted to a fifteen year old boy, but the plot is intrigueing and jacquez rec'd it, so I'm trying.

And something I've glossed over elsewhere, but have noticed in both posts and fic - the characterization of Sirius Black as a "psychopath" or otherwise as other than a good person to be Harry's godfather. Prior to the movie, Black was, in fact, a BSO, usually slashed with Lupin and both as good guys. This has changed, and this must be due to Snape being reimagined as a sympathetic character. Snape hates Sirius, therefore Sirius *must* be bad (no matter that Snape feels the same way about Harry, who cannot be bad.)

I see nothing in the books to support such a characterization of Sirius, and I'm wondering where it really comes from.

The other was a more general slash problem - discounting a rival woman. In this story, Lily is called "the most uninteresting woman in the world." Now, we dont' know *much* about Lily, except that James loved her very much, that she had green eyes and that she was talented in Charms (much like her son.) Oh, and that she loved her son more than life itself, that she was able to defend him to her death and that she was as much a target for Voldemort as her husband.

This does not strike me as being uninteresting. I want to know more about this rather remarkable mudblood.

Comments

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

There are a few things that support that characterization of Sirius. Well, one thing. He *did* try to kill Snape when he was 16. Even given that 16-year-olds are assholes, that's a pretty damn fucked-up thing to do.

But--although he and Snape clearly hate each other--in PoA (when he's not trying to kill Peter) and GoF, he seems reasonably sane. The Dementors didn't drive him bonkers, and he seems to be pretty together, for the most part.

As for Lily...I'm not sure I've ever met a characterization of her that I've liked. She usually ends up as either bland or a device--something to drive Snape and James apart. Personally?

"Stunt flyers will do it. You'll probably never see it in tournament play, though. Too risky, and too difficult." I flicked one finger against the Snitch, remembering. "It was, perhaps, the only thing I could do on a broomstick that your father could not. He was the better Seeker, but I could perform an Ugu Roll."

"You were a Seeker?"

I snorted. "Until I grew too tall, yes. After that, I played Keeper."

He crossed his arms and looked up at me. "The Headmaster once told me you were jealous of my father's prowess at Quidditch."

I nodded. "True enough. I beat him only once as Seeker, out of all the times we played. That is a bitter pill to swallow, for a young boy. Now. What can you tell me about Albion?"

"Later," he said, taking the Snitch from me and tossing it into the air. "Accio broom!" His Firebolt smacked into his outstretched hand. "Care for some one-on-one, Master?"