Directly from the manufacturers (was PoA Chapter 14 Summary)

[Lyda Clunas]

No: HPFGUIDX 20536

Rosmerta wrote:

> I think "Snape's Grudge" is the single best-written 
> chapter in Harry Potter so far (this makes up for my recent bash of 
> JKR on the FAT issue). 

I like this chapter very much, as well. Obviously why I wanted to 
summarize it. :) 

> That said, I wonder if there's anybody willing to "go deep" with me 
> on this "directly from the manufacturers" quote. 

Oh, yeah. I've been kind of wondering about htis myself. But, I have 
my "theory". :)

> 2) Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Snape does know who   
> they are and that he calls Lupin (who would in that case be "one of 
> them") to confront him directly. If so, what exactly is he saying 
> by asking if Harry got it "directly from the manufacturers?" Of the 
> four manufacturers, Pettigrew is believed to be dead by everybody  
> but Sirius. Sirius is still believed by Harry and Snape and even   
> Lupin at this point to be murderously after Harry and so therefore 
> not supplying him with useful gifts. <snip>
> is Snape really asking Lupin, "did you give this to Harry?"

Yes. That is precisely the question Snape is asking. Lupin indicates 
later  in the Shrieking Shack that he, Sirius, James, and Pettigrew 
actually called themselves Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail in 
school. Probably only in their private conversations, but, if Snape 
was as sneaky and suspicious as they make him out to be, it seems 
likely that in his routine attempts to find out what they were up to 
once a month, he would have heard them referring to each other by 
their nicknames, and probably wondered where they got it from, as 
well. So, that's how he would know who exactly MWPP are.  
 
One of my questions with the plot summary was why Snape simply wasn't 
more direct in his quesioning of Lupin, rather than skirting about 
the issue with his whole "manufacturers" line. It doesn't seem to be 
his nature to ask things directly, though. He kind of beats around 
the bush, savors a person's discomfort. He certainly does so with 
Harry. Anyway, I think what he was doing here was asking the question 
in order to get an idea of *what* Lupin knew about Harry's possession 
of the map. He was trying to see if Lupin would lie to him about the 
map, and he was giving his indirect hint that he *knows*.  

> But if that is what Snape's asking--if he knows who MWPP are in    
> other words--it seems completely out of character (and also        
> irresponsible as a teacher and official Hogwarts gadfly) that Snape 
> would let the momentary noise of Ron bursting in and the extremely 
> mild blustering of Lupin distract him enough to let them all leave 
> his office scott-free and with the map in tow.

Quite true. When I raised the "directness" question, Emma replied 
that he had worded the question as he had because of professionalism. 
That even Snape, git that he is, wouldn't want to discuss such a 
matter in front of a student. Especially not Harry Potter. And 
especially if Lupin was innocent (which he was). Also, I'm not sure 
he really *knows* what the map is, although those insults ought to 
look familiar. Is it possible that he actually believes Lupin when 
Lupin says that the parchment just insults people (him)? After their 
treatment of him in school, it doesn't seem like too much of a leap 
to make. 

Why does he let them leave the office? Well, with Ron and Lupin 
siding with Harry, he has no case. Even though he knows that Lupin 
was a manufacturer of the map, he still doesn't *know* what it is 
(although his suspicions were quite accurate), and Lupin would surely 
just stick to his story about it being an insult-o-parchment. 

Which brings me to my question: Did Snape then, after the incident, 
confront Lupin about the map? I can see Snape cornering him in the 
staffroom, perhaps.

Lyda