How To Kill Peter and How The Prank *Really* Happened (WAS Limits of UC )

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 34978

Marina wrote (about Peter and Avada Kedavra):

> And while we're on that topic -- what were Lupin and Black planning 
> to cast on Peter in the Shrieking Shack before Harry stopped them?  
> Were they actually going to AK the guy, or are there some 
forgivable 
> killing curses out there?
> 

I doubt Sirius and Lupin would have used AK.  Why would Sirius do 
anything that might earn him . . . a lifetime sentence in Azkaban?  
As for Lupin, as werewolves are not well regarded, he ought to 
realize that he probably wouldn't be shown mercy for using an 
Unforgivable Curse.

My guess would be the old Rope Trick.  Wizards seem quite adept at 
conjuring ropes.  Lupin ties up Pettigrew.  Wormtail ties up Harry.  
Dumbledore ties up Crouch.  Snape ties up Lupin.  So possibly Lupin 
and Sirius were going to "tie up" Pettigrew very, very, very tightly, 
if you know what I mean.  That would be why Hermione turned away; it 
would have been truly gruesome to watch.

Erin wrote (New Sirius Prank Theory):

> I don't think it's likely that Sirius casually moseyed up to Snape 
one day 
> and freely handed him the information that he wanted. Snape is a 
suspicious 
> person by nature, I think, and would take anything Sirius handed 
him with a 
> grain of salt. Instead, I theorize that the two of them had an 
angry blowout 
> in which Sirius lost his temper and told Snape exactly how to go 
about 
> getting to Remus. Because Sirius told him what he wanted to know in 
the heat 
> of anger, Snape figures that the information is probably true. 

I agree that Sirius didn't just walk up and tell Snape how to prod 
the knot.  

I think it might have happened in a kind of Roadrunner/Coyote 
fashion.  Snape is prowling around, pressing his ear to doors, 
climbing around in air ducts, hiding in closets, trying to "catch" 
the Marauders at something.  The Marauders find this *highly* amusing 
and pathetic.  Snape is such a bungler that they always know about 
his latest ham-handed attempt at surveillance.  The Marauders, being 
quite arrogant, enjoy feeding Snape just enough (correct or 
incorrect) information to keep his interest up, and then yukking 
about the little game later.

Then one day, Sirius goes to far.  He knows Snape is snooping (uh, 
Snape has rigged up the equivalent of two tin cans connected by 
string to listen in on the Marauders).  So Sirius stages a 
conversation and reveals the means to get past the Willow.  Snape 
hears this, and thinking that all of his Master Spying has finally 
worked, rushes off after Lupin.  Sirius can hardly contain himself, 
as he finds his Prank ever-so-amusing, so he tells James.  The rest 
is history.

Sirius doesn't feel bad, because Snape was eavesdropping.  Dumbledore 
doesn't expel Sirius, because Snape was eavesdropping.

I like this theory because it makes Sirius' motives less malicious, 
puts more of the blame on Snape, makes Dumbledore's understated 
reaction understandable, and explains why Snape would believe and act 
on the information Sirius provided.

Cindy (not mentioning the fact that she also likes the theory because 
it makes Snape look like a screw-up again)