Eureka! Snape and the Marauder's Map

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 34680

Pippin wrote (about Snape questioning Lupin about the Map):

> I am kicking myself, because I should have realized this as soon 
> as I finished GoF. The name Snape recognizes from the Map is 
> *Wormtail*. He doesn't know it from Hogwarts, he knows it from 
> being a Death Eater, and (this is the kicker) he thinks "Wormtail" 
> is Voldemort's code name for the traitor  *Sirius Black*.  It 
doesn't 
> matter that there's no physical resemblance between Pettigrew 
> and Black, even in Death Eater robes. A little polyjuice goes 
> along way, as Snape knows perfectly well. 
> 
> When Snape summons Lupin to his office, Lupin has no idea 
> that Snape knows anything about Wormtail, and of course *he*  
> thinks Wormtail is the one person who *couldn't* have given 
> Harry the Map. 

Let's stop here.  I'm a little confused.  I'm with you when you say 
Snape thinks Wormtail is Sirius Black based on Snape's days as a DE.  
I guess Snape kept hearing that this Wormtail fellow would be a 
traitor and would betray the Potters, but Snape is under the mistaken 
assumption that Black is Wormtail.

I lost you, however, on why Snape would summon Lupin to question 
Lupin.  Snape detests Lupin and thinks Lupin is untrustworthy, so why 
bother?

Pippin again:

>Thus the stage is set for a comedy of errors. 
> When Lupin says, "Wormtail or one of those people?" it's the 
> perfect wrong remark. Snape is bound to believe that Lupin is 
> baiting him (again!) but he can't question Lupin more directly 
> without revealing the source of his knowledge. 

Why would Snape think Harry got the map from the "manufacturers" if 
he thinks Wormtail is Black, who is one of the manufacturers?  Snape 
thinks Black wants to kill Harry, so if Black catches up with Harry, 
why wouldn't Black just kill Harry on the spot rather than give him a 
map?  

Pippin again (about the Map's evidentiary value):

>It's obvious to Snape that Lupin is in league with Black, 
> either as ally or dupe. 

I'm still having trouble with how Lupin fits in and gets tied to 
Wormtail and the Map.

Pippin again:

>Suppose Snape is the spy who revealed to 
> Dumbledore that someone close to the Potters was giving 
> information to Voldemort. Snape told Dumbledore he suspected 
> this person, known only as Wormtail, was in reality Sirius Black.  
> Snape has believed all these years that James chose to 
> disregard this warning and trust Sirius anyway. His berating 
> Harry for arrogance in the office gives some basis for this. Then 
> he's told that James actually did switch Secret Keepers, and 
> picked Pettigrew who really was the traitor. So it's  all Snape's 
> fault. 

I think you're on to something here.  Let's say Snape goes to 
Dumbledore with the information that Wormtail AKA Black is the 
traitor.  Dumbledore tells James that Black might be a spy and that 
Dumbledore should be the secretkeeper, but James won't listen.  I 
don't think Snape would have used the name Wormtail in his 
conversation with Dumbledore, because Dumbledore would have mentioned 
that to James.

Dumbledore believes Black is the secretkeeper, but James switches to 
Wormtail AKA Peter.  Snape knows that he did his level best to 
prevent James from using Black, it didn't work, and Black betrayed 
James.  I don't really see why Snape would feel guilty about this.

Hmmm.  Now I don't know what to think.

Cindy