Sirius Black - Alive or Dead?

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Okay, know that Order of Phoenix has been released... it's started me thinking a lot about Sirius again. I was SO upset when I read Order of the Phoenix the first time, because Sirius had quickly become one of my favorite characters as that book progressed. Personally, nothing will convince me that Sirius is really dead until I read Deathly Hallows cover to cover. My reasons for thinking this are: 1. Why would Rowling dedicate an entire book to introducing Sirius, and then kill him off before he could do anything important? It seems like kind of a waste... 2. If he was going to die, why wouldn't the death be more specific, like Cedric? He was hit directly with Avada Kedavra and dropped dead instantly, but Sirius was hit with Stupefy, then another unamed spell (possibly another stunner) and drifted into a mysterious archway... Bellatrix did NOT fire Avada Kedavra as she did in the movie. So, if he was going to die... why not kill him right out? 3. The voices behind the veil were never explained, but since the archway was in the room od Death, it would make sense to assume they are the voices of the dead. But if someone living falls behind the veil... are they dead? In limbo? 4. Luna tells Harry that the things we lose have a habit of coming back to us... If that doesn't have some kind of double meaning, I don't know what does. 5. When Harry tries to use the two way mirror given to him by Sirius to contact him and it doesn't work, Harry's thoughts remind him that Sirius didn't have the mirror when he fell behind the veil, and that's why it doesn't work. Why would Rowling point this out as the reason why it won't work, unless there was some chance it WOULD work if Sirius had taken the mirror with him? Is this just Harry trying to comfort himself, or is this hinting towards something else? 6. When Harry asks Nearly Headless Nick if Sirius will come back as a ghost, he says no, but seems awfully vague about the whole thing. Plus, if unhappy people or people whose lives were incomplete are the only ones who come back as ghosts, isn't Sirius a prime candidate? There are a ton of reasons why Sirius has a sad or incomplete life. He spent half his adult years in prison, he died before getting to help Harry grow up, he died suddenly and pointlessly, he spent the last year of his life feeling useless since he couldn't help the Order, there was a war going on, two of his best friends were murdered and another was a traitor... If anybody has a reason to come back it's him, so it's likely there is another reason why he can't become a ghost (aka, he's not really dead) 7. The other members of the Order seem almost completely unaffected by Sirius dying, Lupin is the only one who even takes notice, and none of the others (except Dumbledore) mention it again. Doesn't it seem like his friends, including his BEST friend and cousin would be more broken up about him being gone? Is there something they know that Harry doesn't? So, perhaps these all seem like wishful thinking, but I think some of these reasons are pretty logical. If you think he is alive, can you think any more reasons? Or, if you think he is dead, what are some GOOD reasons for your opinion?