[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape & the Map (was The Worst of Severus Snape)

[Allen, Rebecca]

No: HPFGUIDX 32699

Megan wrote:

> What I've never understood is how Snape suspects what Harry is holding
> is the Map.  Well, granted he may not know exactly that the piece of
> parchment was the Marauder's Map, but something about it obviously
> drew his suspicions.  What was the "direct from the manufacturers"
> comment?  Lupin always gave me the impression that absolutely *NO
> ONE*, save the Marauders themselves, knows/knew about the Map, so why
> does Snape have suspicions.  It's clearly something more than Snape
> thinking, "Hmmm, Potter has old parchment in his pocket--clearly
> something illegal and up to no good!"--that's just far too much of a
> stretch for me.  What gives with Snape's actions?  A Flint?

I realize I was speculating here; but I have some reasons to assume Snape had
an idea of what the map was.

1. Snape hears from Draco that Harry's head has appeared in Hogsmeade (how
Draco gets from the Shrieking Shack back to Snape's office that fast is another
good question). He soon locates Harry in a random part of the castle; he is
covered in mud, out of breath, and carrying two things in his pockets: some
candy that could only have come from Hogsmeade and a very old, blank piece of
parchment. I think at this point Snape wondered if the parchment had some
secret information about a shortcut to Hogsmeade from within the castle. He
doesn't have to know it's a map of the whole school, just wonder if it could
help Harry get to town.

2. Then Snape pokes at the map and gets insulted by MWP&P. I'm guessing here
that he might have known the nicknames of the Marauders, even if he doesn't
know why (he knows Lupin is an animagus but I don't think he ever figured out
the rest became animagi; still he spied on them a lot and could have noticed
what they called each other). Since he knows that Lupin was good friends with
Sirius, and that this might be something of theirs, his suspicions go through
the roof.

3. He immediately gets Lupin to floo in and questions him in a really cryptic
way, as if he's trying to let Lupin know he's onto him without either showing
his hand or letting Harry know what he means. Lupin is obviously trying not to
say anything that incriminates him or Harry, but Snape must suspect he's
bluffing. 

Then of course Ron runs in with an alibi, and everybody's off the hook for now.
But since Snape's powers of 'putting two and two together' are legendary, it
makes sense he'd have some suspicions.

Make any sense? /Rebecca


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