TOUCHE'

[prefectmarcus]

No: HPFGUIDX 39382

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ssk7882" <skelkins at a...> wrote:
> TOUCHE! ("Tired Of Ugly and Hard-to-swallow Expositions")
> 
> Scabbers isn't a spy or a shape-changer or anything significant or 
> exciting like that.  He's just a rat.  A kid's pet rat.  

Actually I suspected that, along with Hedwig and Crookshanks.  All 
Rowling's animals seem to be able to understand English a little too 
well.  I am now convinced Crookshanks is part Kneazle, and I doubt 
Hedwig is anything other than an owl.
 
> Snape was never a follower of Voldemort.  He is one mean and nasty 
> guy all right, but he is also a man of honor and integrity, and no 
> one with a sense of honor or integrity would *ever* have followed 
> Voldemort, because Voldemort is Evil.

Don't know about that one.  It certainly didn't surprize me in GOF 
when we learn the truth.
 
> Neville is *not* Sneaky!Neville.  He is a timid, insecure, 
> disorganized little kid with weak magical powers who is always open 
> and straightforward and honest about himself.  He is incapable of 
> deceit, and the very notion that he might be hiding anything about 
> himself from his fellow students is therefore fundamentally absurd. 

I don't see him as Sneaky!Neville.  He can certainly keep some things 
secret like extremely personal facts from his private life, but that 
doesn't make him sneaky.  Is he?  I don't know.  I don't think we 
have enough info on that one way or the other. The Peter P equals 
Neville L theory is interesting, but not conclusive.

 
> All that said, though, I do happen to agree overall with Prefect 
> Marcus' interpretations, with the possible exception of Snape's 
> "mission."  I certainly agree that it wouldn't make very much 
*sense* 
> for Snape to be sent back to Voldemort as a spy, but I can't say 
that 
> it would surprise me very much if he were.  Sometimes JKR just 
> doesn't think these things through quite as carefully as we do, you 
> know. ;-)

Yes, unfortunately.  Maybe that's why HP5 is taking so long.

> 
> Also, while I don't think that Draco "loves" Hermione, I do think 
> that he's got a secret crush on her.  And while I'll find it a bit 
> disappointing, it won't surprise me in the least if Snape turns out 
> to have loved Lily.
> 

It's not impossible for Snape to have loved her, it's just that it is 
so unnecessary.  Why multiple complications?  Rowling has shown a 
blessed trait of keeping things tight.  She slipped a bit with pseudo-
Moody IMO, but nobody's perfect. 

> -- Elkins, who agrees that Snape is a "mean ugly shnook," but who 
> would also like to point out that he is *our* mean ugly shnook.

Marcus, who agrees with that.  :)