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This is such an intruiging idea! I'm definitely going to have to come back for the second chapter, because I'm really intrigued by this. I think a psychological study on Sirius Black has GOT to provide some interesting results! haha I love this introduction, as it throws you immediately into the assignment given, the fact that this person has bent the rules, but that they feel they've done the right thing in doing so. I love the way Sirius is briefly described here, as the unblackest Black, but who was still anything but white. That's a really great line and it does suit him perfectly. Also, the ending sentence really leaves you with the desire to know more, to know that he may not have been perfectly likeable of a person, but he deserves to be understood fully, considering how he was raised and the way he broke away from that, but was still as flawed as anyone. Really great stuff!
Author's Response:Thank you for the review. The second chapter is the actual report so it's in a report format. We will see if you like it. I have had different opinions. Some people like the concept, but many Sirius Black fans don't particularly like how I protrayed him. I look foward to hearing your opinion on it.
Hey there, I’m here for the CDMC Event!
This was such an intriguing read! I loved the scientific character; it’s such a unique approach to telling a story – Because in spite of the scientific and factual tone, you still managed to tell the story of the Black siblings growing up, and despite the removed manner of the researcher-narrator, you still managed to invoke my sympathies for the Black children, which is such a brilliant feat! The fate of Thea, especially, is so devastatingly sad, and the fact that both the researcher and Narcissa treat her experiences so offhandedly somehow make it even more terrible – the fact that it was just “a punishment” – evidently one of many – the medical terms used by Narcissa, and the fact that Narcissa still believed Thea could “deserve such treatment” all really bring home how everyday occurrences like this must have been in the Black household, that it was considered perfectly normal in their family for children to suffer! This nonchalant way of painting the scene is at least as effective as actually depicting the horrors in a more emotional way.
You also brought up some aspects of their upbringing that I’ve never considered before! The line about how Sirius, as the heir, was raised to be served whereas Regulus, the spare, was expected to serve stood out to me in particular – It’s almost as though, even by breaking pureblood expectations and refusing to serve Voldemort, Sirius still emulated those norms in some way: He couldn’t be a follower – no matter of what cause – because he wasn’t raised to serve, so even in his rebellion, Sirius stays loyal to pureblood traditions in some shape or form, which I thought was a fascinating interpretation!
I thought the diagnostic paragraphs were also super interesting, and I loved how you ended it on a more positive note, that even though there was plenty of evidence for a personality disorder, Sirius wasn’t fully under its thumb – the decisions he made were still his own, as were his convictions; and even though he grew up in very harmful conditions, he managed to become a light wizard and, after some (forced) self-reflection, a better man.
I also really enjoyed how you incorporated Phineas Nigellus’s statements as evidence for a genetic predisposition, without the Headmaster being aware exactly what he was contributing, which I thought was a nice bit of humour, and all the more entertaining because I didn’t expect it in a ‘medical’ report!
Much Love,
Julia
Author's Response:I'm glad you picked up on the fact that in some ways Sirius's mother, without realizing it, trained him to rebel against her. I didn't want to make Sirius out to be a bad guy because I really don't think he was. Given his childhood, I thought Sirius did a remarkable job. However, he still annoyed me in the stories.
Thank you for such a thoughtful review.
Hi Barbara! Here for CMDC Round 3!
The nomination for Most Creative Story is so well deserved; I am a really big fan of the way you chose to go about Noelle’s challenge. The format is unexpected for a fanfic but works so well, and I like the analytical approach. I especially like how in the first chapter in your opening memo to Noelle, you state that perhaps this maybe not make her like him, but hopefully it will make her understand him -- and really, sometimes that’s the best we can do, especially dealing with an unlikable person. Which brings me to my own feelings on Sirius -- I actually like him quite a lot, but he’s certainly no angel and I recognize he has problems -- but what you’ve done is explore the root of those problems and show that he, like every other person, is a product of brain chemistry and his environment.
This feels so thorough, even down to your use of citations, so immersive. I was amused by the citation to N. Zingarella and P. Partner when referring to Sirius’s sister -- I assumed maybe that was a collab fic you both had done, and I admit I went looking for it on your author page, ha! Didn’t find it, but loved the citation all the same.
I really like how you incorporated government records and personal interviews. Of course in actual psychiatry it’s a poor substitute for interviewing the actual subject, but then again, wth the subject dead, it’s not like you’re making a clinical diagnosis, it’s more academic.
You got into an interesting contradiction, which is the idea that he would have been overindulged as the male heir in a well-to-do family, but also that he was physically and emotionally abused -- and while the physical abuse I don’t believe is canon, the emotional abuse certainly is and we can all extrapolate from there -- and honestly, this dynamic is pretty common in situations of abuse: praise one moment, abuse the next. The descriptions of the abuse the Blacks subjected their children to was horrific, especially Narcissa’s description of the use of Imperius on Thea.
I’m glad you focused on Sirius’s actions as a teen. He had a cruel streak, and it gets overlooked a lot. But he came from a horrific background, and the brain isn’t fully developed until early 20’s, and on the whole I think he became a good person (and I really like that you acknowledge the impact of abuse on the brain).
I think a really great “light bulb” moment in here was where you talk about what might have influenced his decision to become a Gryffindor and break from his family’s expectations at a young school age. We can all go, “Oh, Sirius was just a good guy and didn’t believe in the Dark Arts and always knew what his parents were doing was wrong”...but, really? Are we actually supposed to believe that in spite of all the vitriol, bigotry, and propaganda he was exposed to, that at the age of eleven he had developed an internal compass that pointed him to the side of good? Seems unlikely. Seems more likely that, as you suggest, every decision he made in adolescence had more to do with spiting his parents and being the opposite of whatever they stood for (and not without good reason).
I thoroughly enjoyed this and commend you for this thoughtful, creative approach!
Melanie
Author's Response:Melanie,
One of the great things about JKR's characters is that they all have flaws, which of course makes for wonderful world building (and spin offs for fan fiction.) Sirius definitely had his flaws. One of the biggest, of course, was his bullying of Severus (and others) which is very typical of children who have been abused. Thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Barbara!
This was definitely an intriguing format for a story (I skipped reviewing the first chapter because this seemed like the main content, but I thought that was a really interesting way to set up the report that you've written here). I don't think I've read anything else like this before. I love epistolary writing in any form, so seeing your use of the report to tell the story was an interesting twist on letter/document writing by writing something in a non-fiction format (though of course it's a fictional character writing about another fictional character, which is slightly meta!).
The way that you laid this out as a report worked really well to tell the story that you wanted to share with us, too. From the outset, writing about Sirius with his date of birth, death and his family as simple fact marked out that this piece wasn't going to be told in the traditional story format, and it introduced the idea of an author who's trying to be dispassionate about the person that they're writing about. I think that being unbiased would be quite a hard thing to do in a report written about someone you've never met, so that was definitely an interesting idea.
Is the inclusion of Sirius's older sister from your head canon? I don't remember reading about that before but I thought it could be intriguing to read an AU that she's part of, to see how that changes the dynamic in the family. I would definitely feel for anyone growing up as a Squib amongst the Blacks - as if growing up with the pressure to become a pureblood supremacist wasn't bad enough!
I don't think I would ever have thought of trying to retrospectively diagnose Sirius (or another character) with something like Narcissistic Personality Disorder, especially given the fact that there would have been a lot of other factors that the witnesses/interviewees would have known nothing about. There were quite a few aspects to this diagnosis that didn't sit quite right with me, unfortunately, but I thought you did a good job of laying out the characteristics of the disorder and then offering supporting evidence - even though this was set out in a non-fiction style, it was good to see that you got to be creative and add in your own characters to write this story, too.
This was a really original idea and I'd be intrigued to see more epistolary stories by you again!
Sian :)
Author's Response:Thanks for the review Sian.
Thea is my own headcanon. She's from a series that Noelle and I wrote together called The Poisoned Tree. You are right in that there are so many factors to consider and diagnosis posthumously is challenging and fraught with errors. I definitely wouldn't have tried to diagnose this with a living person I hadn't met before.
This is very interesting in the way it is presented. I would caution the author of this piece that diagnosing someone from historical sources and interviews with others is always going to be a bit of a flyer, with it being more so the farther away from the death of the person. Without actually interviewing and treating the individual, the pat diagnosis is fraught. The first-hand reports from Harry and Narcissa and others are good here, but they are no substitute for actually having talked to Sirius yourself. Also, having read about him before diagnosing him, you are likely to have biases that should be addressed.
That being out of the way, I tend to agree with your assessment of NPD and the way you presented it is compelling. The way you describe Sirius in this piece is consistent with your evaluation. I like your headcanon that his OWLS and NEWTs were mostly average, but he was actually exceptional. This tracks with what we know of him from canon.
I also like that you didn't gloss over his negative traits, since too often in fanfic, Sirius is presented as a ladies' man, but someone who is eventually tamed. He was more complicated than is usually portrayed, and you portray him well him as someone complicated.
I also enjoy the speculation that Sirius refused to become a DE due to wanting to exercise control. This helps paint him in a more grey light. It wasn't just that he wanted to be on the right side, but also that he wanted to be known to be on the right side.
A brilliant character study of a complicated man.
Author's Response:Thank you for the review. You are absolutely correct. I would also caution diagnosing something whom is already deceased. This, however, was for a challenge about Sirius Black, so that couldn't be helped (and I wanted to include all parts of his life, not just his early life, so the paper was written in modern times.) I viewed it a bit like people who will look back at historical figures and theorize of what neurochallenges they might have had just based on the information given.
One thing that makes JKR's characters so good is that they all have flaws--even our heroic Harry Potter. . . . I just highlighted Sirius's flaws more than some might have liked.
Hey!
I can see why this has been nominated for most creative, i haven't really seen anything done like this before. I like how you've taken some of your own head-canon into this story like previously written story about sirius' sister, thea which was a nice touch to the story certainly something to this story.
I'm a Sirus fan or at least I'm a gryffindor like while I found this interesting to read as a theory, I don't think that I agreed with the content of it. I'm not really going to focus on that aspect though. I think it is really cool to see how other people view the characters though. I think it's probably one of the most unique pieces that I've seen. I thought it was clever to write in non-fiction style. It really beautifully set out in structure which meant there was such a nice flow. It's how I imagine a proper profile to look like. I'm not sure if you've done any research for your stylistic choice here but it certainly looks the part.
I think what I really enjoyed about the story and what was really clever is how you've really catered it to noelle's challenge more than just writing something that just fits the bill. It feels really personal to her which is probably like the use of her name, mentioning the piece that you wrote together was really good idea. I think you really mastered what this challenge was about is you seem like a really worth winner.
Abbi xx
Author's Response:Thank you for the review, Abbi. I know I might annoy some Gryffindors and/or Sirius fans with this. Thank you for not getting too mad at me.
Okay, I'm back...
And...
Wow! I think you did a really impressive job with this! I'm not an expert in psychology by any means, but they way this is written and argumented seems so... professional? The style was so unique and it worked so well and your analysis was incredibly detailed... such a wonderful job! I can tell that you really put a lot of effort in this, and it definitely paid off!
I have to admit, I actually like Sirius and I don't fully agree with some of your points (namely, the complete lack of empathy, or the idea that his friendships with Remus and Peter were only functional to his need of adulation or rebelliousness towards his family... but that's my personal opinion, so it doesn't matter...) Despite that, the diagnosis of NPD seems realistic and fiiting in many ways, both in the causes and in the effects...
I think it was super interesting, btw, the comparison between Sirius and Regulus and the way they were raised. Like, Sirius was basically pushed to be a rebel, while Regulus was raised to serve... growing up in a family like that would damage any child's brain, honestly... oh, and I love the idea of an older sister (who might've been a squib, no less...) that's fascinating!
Another thing I would've never, ever considered is how Azkaban might've been "therapeutic" for Sirius...? Of course such an experience would have a strong impact on anyone... and it might put some things in perspective as well... it's absolutely crazy but, again, it does make sense in some way? I can almost deem this entire analysis as accurate... I'm Sirius!
All in all, this was a brilliant job, so well structured and thought-out and executed! It's just impressive, I don't really know what else to say!
Happy holidays again! And big snowball hug!
Chiara
Author's Response:Thank you, Chiara. I'm glad you liked it.
Hey, Barbara! I'm stopping by here for your wishlist! Happy holidays! :)
I'm obviously moving on the next chapter immediately, because this is just an introduction and the juicy bit has yet to come, obviously, but I wanted to spend a moment telling you that just the idea of this introductory... email, I guess? :P is brilliant! I love that you structured this as if it was a university assignment and that you used this first chapter this way, it's brilliant and so, so original and unexpected! I bet Professor Zingarella appreciated it! :P
But now, without further ado, I'll move to the actual case study...
See you soon!
Love,
Chiara
Author's Response:Thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Hello hello! Happy holidays!! Here for the Rager of the Decade gifting event! <3
This is such a creative story omg. It feels so meta, having a character within Harry Potter do a case study on another character within Harry Potter—it’s so interesting! I absolutely love all the little details you put in, such as the little in-text citations as well as the bibliography in the end. It gave me a few traumatic flashbacks to my recent final paper, haha, which I think is a sign that you succeeded in making the premise appear realistic in that way! This makes me wonder if the wizarding world has a different system of citations than the Muggle world, haha, and what they might be.
Even though this was framed in a nonfiction format, I thought that the liberties you took with the narrative were still very impressive! I mean, you managed to tell the horror stories of Sirius’s parents’ abuse towards him and his siblings, and I felt a very real shock with every new description that emerged of their disturbing parental behavior. And the hypothesis that Sirius Black could have Narcissistic Personality Disorder was so interesting—it’s never occurred to me before, and I just can’t get over how unique this interpretation is. I thought the little additions you added to canon to support the case study’s theory, such as the attention he gave to girls and the idea that he didn’t really become friends with Remus in a genuine way, were interesting, as well (even if I disagree with some! :P).
Overall, I thought this was an incredible, original piece. I loved the research element of this, and I was just riveted throughout the…story? Paper? :P Thank you for writing this! <3
Eva
Author's Response:Thank you for the review, Eva. As I was writing this, sometimes it was hard to remember exactly what was canon versus typical fanfiction expectations.
I absolutely love what you did with the first chapter, addressing Noelle like that! It was so clever and sets up this chapter really well.
I didn't think it was possible for Walburga to appear more horrible than she was, but you've managed it! The torture she inflicted on her own children is just too awful for words!
I love the references you've used throughout, it makes the piece feel authentic. I believe every word you've written! Plus there's enough new information here (and new names) to make it feel fresh and interesting. I also appreciate that you included the more negative sides of him along with the positive, making for a very realistic human.
Congratulations on winning this challenge! Very well deserved, this was a great read :)
Author's Response:Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.
Hi, Barbara. Thank you for leaving your kind on my first ever Sirius centric story. I thought of stopping by yours as well.
It is very unique that you focused on analyzing Sirius Black from psychological POV. Reading each detailed study, I remembered your other fic themed Autism. Every theory is very plausible to understand who Sirius Black was.
Each source in the sentence added an academic mood. I found the source, Harry Potter's and I smiled at his remarks, 'twitchy and easily excitable".
The episode around his sister, squib, of course your original idea. Your Black fandom shines here as well.
Well analyzed overall from his childhood to the adult, hence his sad history looks conspicuous by reviewing back the environment, his parents, tendency of pure-blood House of Black. It's interesting there was possibility that Sirius might be a Death Eater, and his effort towards a light wizard made him a brave man. It's ironic his long stay at Azkaban prison changed his attitude in the past and of course his affection towards his godson, Harry made him a good wizard!
No authors think of such a surprising plot other than you, Barbara. I enjoyed your story very much.
K
Author's Response:Thank you for the kind review, Kenny. Although i wonder if I should be incensed when you suggested "Your Black fandom," but as long as that doesn't include Sirius Black. I actually wrote this because I really don't like the character and was trying to find my inner sympathy for him.
I’m back for the next Challenge Entry Review :D
Um, first of all, I love that Almathea is in this report. That’s fantastic, also the citation!
The whole style and structure of this entry as a report is spotless. I love the care that you’ve taken in setting it up, in the citations, both fiction and non-fiction—you obviously know a thing or two about what you are doing here! It looks and reads beautifully, and I find myself shaking my head over the brilliance of the whole idea.
The “reciting of the facts” at the beginning about Sirius’s childhood are complete, passionless, and chilling. Of course, I know that he was abused, but to read it laid out his way: this is what happened—very affecting. I especially liked the touches that you put in about the interviews with Walburga’s portrait (still protecting her image after death!) and Narcissa (so sad!).
But what struck me most was the point you made about him being the eldest son in a Pureblood family—and the sense of entitlement that would have been trained into him. The fact that he was raised to be served—while Regulus was raised to serve instead—explains so much about both of these characters.
But the most brilliant part of this is the diagnosis: NPD. I just sat there for a moment staring at it. And yes, I think you’re right. NPD would explain so much of his behavior. I can totally see NPD in Headmaster Black and in Sirius’s parents too! You give example after example of his need for adoration (dating all those women); giving the appearance rather than presenting evidence of his superiority (his grades); his group of friends which includes people who will give him adoration; his treatment of people he feels are inferior to him; his disregard for consequences and lack of empathy; his twitchy behavior. I feel that his whole character has clicked into place for me.
The way you explain his becoming a Gryffindor as him taking control of his life for the first time is genius. I don’t know if I can see it any other way now, honestly. And it’s very true that he joined the Order at great personal risk—although maybe that did play into his NPD somewhat (look at me, I’m so brave, etc).
I felt sort of punched in the gut with the section on Post-Azkaban. It’s so true that people with NPD are almost impossible to treat; but the idea that this forced confinement would have potentially helped him overcome some of the disorder—very harsh medicine and I’m not sure he deserved it. But if it did help him some—maybe that’s the silver lining. And I don’t know that I’ve ever really, compassionately, considered how hard those last three years must have been for him. On the run, probably drinking too much, depressed, anxious—but still working for the right side. I wonder what would have happened for him if he had survived.
This was excellent! I will have the results up as soon as I finish reviewing all the other entries. I will say that I’d love to see profiles like this of some of the other characters, were you ever so inclined.
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:
Now, I have two reasons why I earned my Masters. First, it taught me that I would never get my PhD and second, I learned how to cite in APA style just so I could cite Harry Potter sources.
I originally had this story as 3 chapters with the citations as the last one, but it was rejected because chapter 3 was not in narrative format which is required by Archive rules, so it was tacked on to chapter 2. I had always been taught that your works cited page should be a separate page at the end of your report. . . oh well. I apologize, Professor, for the incorrect formatting.
Of course, I had to throw Thea in there.
I researched a bunch of pyschological conditions/mental illnesses and when I came across NPD. . . It was so obvious, I wondered if JKR was thinking about it when she created Sirius (and James.)
I'm not sure if I would do a psych report on another. Honestly, this wasn't my favorite thing to write. The style really challenged me. However, having said that analyzing Snape would be very interesting.
Hi Barbara! I thought I would hang out on your page a little longer and do your Challenge Entry review :D
I have to give you props for this amazing take on “making me like Sirius Black.” The idea of a psychological report is so good and an angle I would never have thought to take myself. Kudos to you.
This letter that prefaces the report is a great intro. I am curious as to why this student has decided to take on Sirius Black as the subject of her report. I love that there is a class called magical psychology—and I’d love to see more of the curriculum you’d design for Hogwarts, were you given the opportunity.
The affront to the student’s Ravenclaw sensibilities (and her Slytherin boyfriend’s opinion) are priceless. And I really enjoyed all the steps of her research (oh to be witness to her interviewing the portraits!).
Eagerly looking forward to the report!
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:I'm not sure why the character picked Sirius Black since she was supposed to analyzing someone she could interview. . . . oh, that right because this was written for the Make Me Like Sirius Black Challenge, so he had to be included in there somewhere. Thank you for the review.
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