The Prank (again)

[kwilson1003]

No: HPFGUIDX 35482

I've been lurking on this board for a while and was enjoying all the 
Snape vs Sirius messages.  It seems the whole prank that Sirius 
played on Snape has been discussed to death, but I still have a 
question about it so here goes.

It seems to be accepted fact that the prank occurred when Sirius and 
Snape were about 16 years old.  Is this mentioned in the book?  I'd 
actually assumed it was when they were a lot longer.  Probably just 
after they'd found out that Remus was a werewolf, but before they 
could become animagus (hence the whole epsiode of James risking his 
life to get Snape instead of just turning into a Stag).  

Oh - and another reason.  Snape is pretty smart.  He wouldn't have 
taken 5 or so years to become extremely curious about Remus.  He 
probably would have even figured it out by then.  I know that Sirius 
says in the book that Snape was snooping around and trying to get 
them expelled.  But Draco has been doing the same for Harry, pretty 
much from the beginning, and so I didn't think that Sirius was 
specifically referring to the whole marauding thing.  I feel that 
maybe it was just the animagus part.  It took them nearly three years 
and I imagine they had to sneak around to find somewhere to practice.

But maybe I missed something in the book.  Hard to believe 
considering I've read the thing so often : )

Karen