Why the Veritaserum theory is all wet

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 34820

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "tex23236" <jbryson at r...> wrote:
> > I can pretty much guarantee that the next words out of Snape's
> mouth 
> > will be "*Why* does Lupin go to the Shrieking Shack?"  (Or
> something 
> > to that effect.)  And, of course veritaserumed Sirius will have 
to 
> > reply "Because Lupin is a werewolf."  
> > 
> Snape would likely have that figured out, already, like Hermione 
> did.  Snape is probably the smartest of all JKR's characters, 
> including HP.  He doubtless would have followed the Marauders
> to the Whomping Willow tree.  At this point, Young Snape knows
> Lupin is a werewolf, but not that the others are animagi.  So, 
there 
> is not a lot for Sirius to tell him beyond the fact that the 
tunnel 
> under the tree goes to the Shack, which is Lupin's (and the 
> Marauders' hideout) Snape mostly only needed confirmation of
> what he has already figured out.

I'm sorry, that makes no sense whatsoever to me.  You're saying that 
Snape fed Sirius Veritaserum to find out how to get past the 
Whomping Willow, went into the tunnel while fully aware that there 
would be a werewolf waiting for him on the other side, and then 
decided not only that it was Sirius' fault, but that all the 
Marauders had conspired to murder him?  I know Snape has believed 
some irrational things, especially in PoA, but that's not 
irrationality, that's raving dementia.  Total dissociation from 
reality.  Cluck-cluck, gibber-gibber, my old man's a mushroom, 
totally bonkers.  And whatever else may be wrong with Snape, I've 
seen nothing to indicate that he's certifyably psychotic.

> If Sirus had done it because the was an impulsive kid and Snape 
was 
> a git, I think JKR would have said so. But Sirius doesn't explain 
his 
> motives to Harry, even when he says he did it.  And Siruis' motives
> are simply not explained in canon, so far.

But they are, on page 356 of the US paperback edition:

****
Black made a derisive noise.

"It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to 
figure out what we were up to... always trying to get us expelled..."

****

Now, JKR may not have spelled it out for us in one-syllable words in 
block capital letters, but it's still a lot more canonical evidence 
than we have for the Veritaserum theory (which is none at all).

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com