Prophecies - Lupin visiting Black, seeing Scabbers

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 18966

I (it was Amy, not Ebony) wrote:

"I love what The Phantom Tollbooth has to say about
this.  After Milo succeeds in his quest, Azaz and the Mathemagician
let him in on the secret they'd only hinted at before:  that his quest
was impossible.  So much for prophecies (but if they'd told him it was
impossible before, methinks the prophecy would have come true).  I
think Dumbledore would take a similar approach.  He believes that
people's decisions, not to mention blind chance, can overrule what
would seem to be fate."

Scott wrote:

>I don't think I've ever read "The Phantom Tollbooth" so I'm not 
>sure what you're saying. That Harry's task whatever it might be is 
>unaccomplishable, and if Harry knew that it would be? 

No, I didn't mean the unaccomplishable part, just the "prophecies 
don't have to come true" part.  It does sound like the kind of thing 
Dumbledore would withhold from Harry, though.

Floridian (how's the weather down there?) wrote:

> Strange, he never visited him in azkaban and asked him about it.    

That might have cleared up a lot of problems, huh?  (And ruined a 
fantastic story.)  I get the sense prisoners in Azkaban aren't allowed 
too many visitors.  As soon as we get Fudge out of the MOM and get 
this little Voldemort skirmish out of the way, let's institute some 
prison reform.  Sirius Black for chief of Magical Law Enforcement!

>Here is something I have wondered about. As long as Lupin spent at 
>Hogwarts he never saw Scabbers. He was asleep most of the train ride 
>but he was so close. He was friends with Harry and Ron, but never saw 
>Scabbers. Has anyone noticed this?

I also wondered whether Lupin knows Ron has a rat, and I think he 
probably does because he so quickly grasps what must be happening when 
he sees Peter's name on the map.  If he didn't know HR or H had a pet 
rat, he'd think Peter was stowing away or something.  Also, once in 
the Shrieking Shack, he doesn't see Scabbers until he asks Ron to take 
him out:

He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly. . . .
Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes.  Scabbers emerged, 
thrashing desperately . . . (PA 17)

>From what he saw on the map, it made sense to think Peter was rat in 
Ron's pocket, but how does he know he's still with Ron and not, say, 
Hermione?  How does he know he hasn't run away entirely?  It all seems 
like too much for him to put together unless he already knows Ron has 
a rat and puts it together.  

Ron does carry Scabbers around in his pocket, including to class, it 
seems, so Lupin could easily have seen him anytime.  He wouldn't have 
thought anything of it.

Amy Z

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    "We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!"
 said Fred indignantly.
    "No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying
 git," said George.  "Isn't he, Harry?"
    "Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," said Harry earnestly.
                 --Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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