Odd parallels and FEATHERBOAS

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 36720

David wrote:

>As I remember 
> it, Snape believed that Lupin was helping (the escaped criminal) 
> Black, and was following with the aim chiefly of catching Black and 
> secondarily of proving Lupin's guilt.  It wasn't about getting 
>Lupin 
> fired at that point.

Amanda agreed:

>And regardless of his primary motivation
> (to catch Sirius and prove Lupin's complicity), Snape was *also* 
>trying to
> get (at the very least) Harry out of the situation. 

Hmmm.  This is kind of interesting to ponder.

The sequence of events is that Snape, knowing that Lupin has failed 
to take his potion and is going to transform, goes to Lupin's office 
with the potion.  At this point, Snape's motives are clear -- he is 
trying to prevent Lupin from transforming.

Then Snape sees Lupin (and only Lupin) on the Map.  What makes sense 
for Snape to do at this point?  I can only think of two things:  (1) 
turn around and go back to his office, shaking his greasy head at the 
fact that Lupin's forgetfulness has caused Lupin to make a mad dash 
for the Shack; or (2) follow Lupin with the potion in hand and try to 
catch up with him in time.  

What doesn't make sense to me is why Snape leaves the castle at all 
if he's not going to bring the potion?  Snape doesn't know there is a 
cloak available, he doesn't know the trio is out at night, he doesn't 
know about Black.  Snape has to believe Lupin is going to the Shack 
to transform because there's no foundation at all for Snape to 
believe anything else.  Indeed, if Snape believes Black is in the 
Shack, then one would think he'd let Black and Lupin have a little 
reunion there in the Shack so Black can be torn to ribbons by a 
werewolf.  I think Snape would gladly trade Order of Merlin for that 
scenario.

I've managed to thoroughly confuse myself, I think.  I don't see why 
Snape would risk tangling with a werewolf to apprehend a criminal 
Snape has no reason to believe is even in the Shack.  I think I've 
talked myself into believing that there's no basis to think that 
Snape leaves the castle to apprehend Black or save the Trio or 
prevent Lupin from transforming.  This whole scene is starting to 
feel kind of FLINT-y to me now.

Tough Dicentra wrote:

>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?

As much as I bow down to you because of your enthusiastic insults 
toward Snape, I'm not sure I'm on board here.  

When Snape gets to the Willow, he sees the cloak.  Cloaks are rare, 
so we could assume that Snape actually recognizes this particular 
cloak (lying there in the dark) as belonging to James.  It's a rather 
wobbly theory, but we have to go there because we have no choice, as 
Snape somehow knows to thank Harry for the cloak later.  When Snape 
arrives at the willow, Snape now knows Harry is around and Lupin is 
around.  He still doesn't know about Black.

So maybe the relevant parallel is that Snape is fulfilling the James 
role and is preparing to pull Harry out of the tunnel so Harry 
doesn't meet a fully-grown werewolf.  Oooh, would that erase Snape's 
life debt to James?  Yes, I like this bit because then Snape's motive 
isn't *really* to save Harry's life.  Snape's motives instead are 
self-serving -- he wants to get the Life-Debt-To-James monkey off of 
his back.  Snape as self-serving is good, very good.

Anyway, Snape takes the cloak because -- er, who wouldn't?  It never 
hurts to have an invisibility cloak, I guess.  Besides, Snape 
probably has never actually touched an invisibility cloak, and he is 
fondling it and getting a real thrill playing with this new toy, even 
for a minute.  ;-)

Dicentra again:

>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.  

Trapezoid!  Florence!  Trapezoid!  Florence!

Dicentra again:

> And I'm not necessarily talking about CUPID'S BLUDGER or any of 
those
> other Cock-Eyed Yet Entertaining theories.  

Cock-Eyed?  You mean Cock-Eyed in the sense of being completely canon-
based and spot-on?

Dicentra (on the Dumbledore/McGonagall/Snape trio):

>Could that mean that Ron will indeed go bad then come back as
> a spy, unbeknownst to us, the anguishing readers?
> 

Nah.  It means that Snape and Ron will both die.  And FWIW, I think 
Ron will pre-decease Snape.  Sorry.

************

Eileen wrote:

> But, bloody ambush appreciation can co-exist with SYCOPHANTism. 
It's 
> the Avery thing again. Avery who is both sickened and attracted by 
> violence. 


Sure, FEATHERBOAS can co-exist with SYCOPHANTism.  Just barely, 
perhaps.  But I must admit I have no idea how one can wear a 
FEATHERBOA and have this pity for evil underlings thing going on.  

I mean, in our many ambush scenarios, people are getting *killed*.  
Wilkes dies (although not in an ambush because Elkins said I couldn't 
kill him in an ambush).  Rosier dies.  They probaby had a lot to live 
for, too, and they valued their own evil little lives as much as 
Pettigrew values his.  Yet Rosier died at the hands of Moody, and 
Eileen and Elkins are bouncing on the sofa.  What's the difference 
between Pettigrew and Rosier?  And if you're mourning Rosier, why did 
you rejoice in his ambush in the first place?   Hmmmmm?

Cindy (who doesn't know why she is challenging Elkins and Eileen 
about their FEATHERBOA credentials because if they both surrender 
their credentials, she will be a rather lonely FEATHERBOA)