Odd parallels

[dicentra_spectabilis_alba]

No: HPFGUIDX 36685

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at c...> wrote:

> The bottom line is that Snape left his office with one important 
> piece of information -- that Lupin was headed toward the Shrieking 
> Shack.  He didn't know about Black or the Trio at that point.  The 
> desire to catch Lupin was the sole catalyst for Snape's actions.  The 
> presence of the Trio (which Snape did not suspect until he arrived at 
> the Willow or confirm until he arrived at the Shack) did not cause 
> Snape to change his conduct at all, IMHO.  So no, I don't think 
> Snape's motives were honorable.  He wanted to get Lupin fired, and 
> that is the only reason he ventured out that night.
> 
Now this got me thinking... I've noticed some interesting parallels
between Shack Night and the Prank.  For the Prank we have Snape trying
to get Lupin in trouble and Sirius occasioning his entry into the
tunnel. He is later saved by James. 

For Shack Night we have Snape trying to get Lupin in trouble again and
Sirius occasioning his entry into the tunnel (indirectly, because
Lupin went in when he saw Sirius go in).  Snape must know that Lupin
is on the verge of transforming (he saw he hadn't drunk his potion,
and he knows what day it is), so for protection he dons James's
Invisibility Cloak.  I had always assumed that he put the cloak on for
eavesdropping purposes, but at the mouth of the Whomping Willow, he
didn't know there was anything to eavesdrop on (although he may have
thought Lupin was going to meet Sirius).  He must have been afraid of
running into a werewolf again and therefore went into the situation
invisible.  Saved by James again, Severus. What do you think about
that, ya oily git?

Could this repetition tell us anything about the Prank?  On Shack
Night, Snape comes out convinced that Sirius has gotten away with
murder when in fact he's innocent.  No punishment, no dementor's kiss.
 
But he's dead wrong.  We don't really know why Sirius hates Snape so
much, nor do we know what provoked him into sending Snape down the
tunnel in the first place.  Even though it's remembered as a prank by
all parties, I don't think Sirius was just going to have a laugh at
Snape's expense.  I think he did something that in Sirius's eyes was
worthy of some nasty revenge.  And judging by what makes Sirius tick
(loyalty) Snape probably betrayed someone Sirius cared about deeply. 
And I'm not necessarily talking about CUPID'S BLUDGER or any of those
other Cock-Eyed Yet Entertaining theories.  Snape could very easily
have betrayed one of the Marauders.  Wouldn't it be ironic if that
person were Peter?

And while we're on parallels, I noticed another one while skimming
through GoF. We have The Trio (RHR), the anti-Trio (Malfoy and thugs),
the previous-generation Trio (James, Remus, Sirius) and now a fourth:
Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape.  I noticed them when they came barging
in just as Crouch Jr. is about to do Harry in.  It seems that Snape
and McGonagall are Dumbledore's right- and left-hand men (so to
speak).  Not only are they the most prominently featured of the
faculty (except the DADA teacher du jour), they seem to operate as
Dumbledore's hit squad.  

But unlike the other trios, it's awfully easy to draw parallels
between this trio and The Trio--McGonagall is obviously a parallel to
Hermione and Dumbledore to Harry, leaving Ron in Snape's place. 
Hmmmm.  Could that mean that Ron will indeed go bad then come back as
a spy, unbeknownst to us, the anguishing readers?

--Dicentra, who wonders if JKR is doing this on purpose