[HPforGrownups] Re: Nitpicky Snapethoughts - Snape's hysteria in PoA

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 15243

foxmoth at qnet.com wrote:

> Wonderful, wonderful post Amanda, but you are overlooking one
> thing...we don't know exactly when Snape arrived at the Shrieking
> Shack. He could have been listening *outside* the door.

Yes, I thought of this, but I considered that (a) he's been just *dying*
all year to have something to damn Lupin with, so why would he hesitate
to go in, since (b) he's wearing an Invisibility Cloak and can hear
better *and* see inside?

> Remember, as you pointed out, he has no way of knowing from the Map
> that Sirius is in the Shack.

Or the Trio--I don't think he's doing anything but following Lupin at
first, although he seems to know the Cloak was James' and is now
Harry's, so presumably when he found the Cloak by the Willow he might
have figured Harry, at least, was in danger.

> Suppose Snape showed up at the point where Lupin is saying, "Everyone
> thought Sirius killed Peter. I believed it myself -- until I saw the
> map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies..."
>
> Snape could have continued to listen outside the door, having no
> reason to believe that Sirius is present or that the children are in
> immediate danger...until Sirius speaks again "If you're going to tell
> them the story, get a move on, Remus..." at which point Snape comes
> through the
> door no doubt thoroughly alarmed.

And then stands there, thoroughly alarmed, and eavesdrops, instead of
taking action? For quite a while? I think he considered Lupin quite a
danger enough, although he probably followed him in the expectation of
finding Sirius. He was trying to catch Lupin, found Sirius, and an added
bonus was that he got to save the skin of that wretched Potter boy and
his friends to boot! And then here they are, not even being remotely
grateful, acting like he's *interfering* by risking his life to save
them and catch this ravening murderer, just like that damned James
lightly ignoring his hard-won intelligence about the spy and getting
himself and Lily killed! It's enough to make you unhinged, isnt' it?

Point being, a logician like Snape simply wouldn't limit his options by
listening outside the door when he could be in a much better position to
act inside the room. It makes no sense for him to wait outside,
strategically or given his personality or looking at his advantage
wearing the Cloak.

> It's true that he wouldn't have over heard about the switch, but being
> Snape, he might not need to...just hearing Pettigrew was still alive

I maintain he never heard this, until he heard Sirius's story later at
the castle.

> and had animagus powers might be enough to engender the horrible
> thought that Peter was the spy after
> all...a thought which Snape then violently rejects.

Actually, considering that the aliases of the Marauders were one thing
Snape *did* hear in the Shack, I myself was looking for some violent
reaction, or some reaction, when Snape hears Wormtail mentioned as alive
and serving Voldemort. This doesn't happen until the end of GoF, during
the Crouch "confession" scene, when Crouch Jr. says that Voldemort shows
up at his house in the arms of his servant Wormtail. Snape knows who
this is. Snape himself made the Veritaserum, Crouch is *not* lying,
Pettigrew *is* alive and Sirius is innocent. If Snape had not already
known all this, i.e., if Dumbledore had not told him, I suspect we'd
have seen some reaction at this confirmation.

Since Snape did not react at all, isn't even mentioned at this juncture
of Crouch's speech, it seems likely that he already knows, and that's
why he only reacts to an old personal enemy, not a betrayer and
murderer, when Sirius transforms in front of him in the hospital wing.

--Amanda


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