The Prank Revisited... again.

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48307

There has been a great deal of discussion about 'the prank'. That is,
Sirius sending Snape into the Shrieking Shack to meet a werewolf. To
the best of my memory, we really only have two references (maybe two
and a half) to this. The first being Dumbledore talking to Harry about
it. The second being Snape talking to Harry about it. The half, being
Sirius making some references to it.

That's not much information. From what I've read, we don't know that
no one was punished. We don't even necessarily know that anyone was
caught. James pulled Snape back before he could be harmed. Do we know
for a fact that Snape then went whining to the headmaster? I think
not. True Dumbledore knows, to some extent, what happened, but we
don't know when or how he found out.

So, as far as punishment, I don't think we can say either way.

Also, we haven't been told yet what Sirius said to Snape to get him to
go down into the Whomping Willow. He could have said something like
'Snape if you're so damn determined to find out what is going on, why
don't you just take a stick and poke the knot on the tree, and go look
for yourself. BUT I WARN YOU, what you see there will probably be the
last thing you ever see in your life. So, if you are really dying to
know, then poke the knot on the tree, and go ahead and die.'

True, there is an element of reverse psychology here, but Sirius could
have warned Snape of the deadly consequences, and Snape's arrogance
forced him to do it anyway. 

In that scenario, Sirius certainly has a degree of blame for what
happened, but I can see how that circumstance would allow him to limit
his own feelings of guilt.

I think we will find out more about what really happened. I think this
little incident it too far in the forefront of the story to not be
significant enough to come up again.


Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn