‘Did Sirius Black fail as a guardian for Harry?' - FOR

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Table Of Contents

Introduction

Argument 1

Argument 2

Argument 3

Conclusion

Sources

Outro

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Introduction

Edit - Thank you for the feature!!

Hello fellow Potterheads! Some of you may or may not me from a few years ago... but I am back!

For my post today, I have decided to take part in the most recent 'HPA Debate'. The prompt is...

'Did Sirius Black fail as a guardian for Harry?'

This debate prompt is a very good one to use as the character of Sirius Black is a very interesting and complex one. Therefore, this debate is very open you your own interpretation of what you have seen/read...

I have decided to take the view that Sirius Black DID fail as a guardian for Harry...

Tag: #PadfootDebator

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Disclaimer

Before I begin to state my points for this side of the debate, I just wanted to say to all the die-hard Sirius fans (including myself) that this is no way at all me hating on him.

I have seen so many arguments that Sirius was a great guardian and I wanted to see if I could think of contrasting points. This is because I believe most people will be against the prompt and wanted to write something a bit different. <3

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So with that out of the way, here are my reasons why I think Sirius may been viewed as a bad guardian for Harry…

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Argument 1

'Sirius often projected James Potter onto Harry which blurred the lines as a good guardian'.

Most noticeable in 'The Order of the Phoenix', there are a number of instances where Sirius tended to treat Harry like a friend rather than a child whom he is guardian of.

Sirius often refers Harry as 'So like James'. While many may look at this confusion as a result of Harry and James having a very similar appearance, there could be a deeper meaning that Sirius refuses to accept that his best friend has gone.

Additionally, in many occasions, Sirius openly encourages Harry's rebellious behaviour specifically when it came to sneaking out or even keeping certain secrets from Dumbledore.

These instances put Harry at great risk, and therefore it is argued that Sirius didn't always have Harry's safety as his number one priority.

Due to Sirius treating Harry like his friend rather than guardian, it prevents Sirius from realising what Harry really needs. At the end of the day, Harry is a teenage boy who has already suffered from a lot of trauma in his life and therefore would need emotional from a parental figure. However, instead of Sirius playing the role of this stable adult figure, he is unable to tend to Harry's emotional needs, and instead tries to relive his youth through Harry.

Therefore, due to Sirius being unable to leave the past in the past, he cannot give proper parental guidance and advice to his godson.

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Argument 2

'Sirius was reckless and placed Harry in danger'.

In a number of occasions, Sirius insists on communicating with Harry via risky and dangerous methods which put himself and Harry at risk of exposure.

For instance, Sirius used his magic to communicate through a fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. There was a large possible risk of someone overhearing their conversation and reporting it. A responsible guardian would have prioritised caution and clear communication.

Another example was when Sirius snuck into Hogsmeade in dog form as he could have easily been caught and exposed.

Additionally, Sirius was the individual who encouraged Harry to form Dumbledore's Army which later lead to him being physically harmed by Umbridge when the use of the room of requirement was discovered.

In summary, Sirius' recklessness gave Harry a false sense of security and invincibility as well as an increased sense of responsibility which contributed to the trauma Harry experienced when people were being murdered.

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Argument 3

'Sirius was emotionally unstable and therefore unable to provide the secure and nurturing environment Harry needed'.

When we are first introduced to Sirius Black in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' we see a character very different to the one we see in 'Order of the Phoenix'.

Due to his 12 years in Azkaban, Sirius has been hit with a lot of psychological damage. Azkaban is a prison known to crush the minds of prisoners. Sirius states that the only reason he has stayed sane was by focussing on the fact he is innocent.

This psychological damage is made obvious in when we first meet Sirius in 'Prisoner of Azkaban'. This makes Sirius unreliable as a parental figure as despite his deep love for Harry, he is too consumed by his own trauma to consistently act in Harry's best interests.

Furthermore, during 'Order of the Phoenix', Sirius is confined to his childhood home at Grimmauld Palace which is sadly full of bad memories and trauma from his abusive upbringing. There is a change in Sirius' mood where he becomes moody, isolated and aggressive.

This mood change is portrayed through things such as slamming doors, sulking and excessive drinking (which is implied.) Sirius also refuses to leave the house which shows how limited be is to ing Harry in a practical way

Sirius additionally has an unhealthy level of emotional dependency on Harry. Sirius often tells Harry he is 'the only person who really understands' or 'the only good thing left in his life' which is a massive burden for teenage Harry. This is especially due to everything Harry is going through at that time. When Harry's choices unintentionally contribute to the death of Sirius, he blames himself and is left with guilt rather than peace.

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Conclusion

Sirius' trauma, depression and dependence on Harry prevents him from creating the secure environment a young, traumatised teenage boy would need. Sadly, instead of Sirius healing Harry's emotional wounds, he unintentionally deepens them and increases the burdens on him.

Additionally, he sees Harry as more like a friend rather than someone to look after and protect, and his reckless and impulsive behaviour often puts Harry in danger which is something a responsible parental figure would prioritise.

Overall, Sirius was a well intentioned and loving character, but sadly love alone was not enough and could not compensate for his inability to be the steady, protective adult figure whom Harry so desperately needed.

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Sources

Here

And Here

And my own brain

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Outro

That’s it for my reasons why I believe some people may see Sirius as a poor guardian for his Godson Harry.

As I said at the start, I am not hating on Sirius as he is one of my favourite characters in the franchise.

I look forward to reading other people’s debates and feel free to discuss in the comments if there is something you don’t agree with!

Paige over and out <3