Who's Afraid Of The Big, Bad Wolf? (WAS Odd parallels and FEATHERBOAS)

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 36771

Marina wrote (about my creeping suspicion that Snape has no good 
motivation to leave the castle in the first place):

> Yeah, that does seem a bit, uhm... plot-driven, doesn't it?  

Ah, well, maybe so, although opinions obviously differ.  I think my 
problem, when you boil it right down, is that I generally expect 
characters to react to the objective facts and be motivated by those 
facts, not motivated just by feelings.  As I said, I think the facts 
point to Snape being motivated to stay in the castle.  Snape doesn't 
like Lupin based on feelings and bias perhaps, but maybe that's 
enough motivation to make Snape's actions credible.  

So, everyone, when one is analyzing whether an author has established 
a proper motivation for a character's actions, what are we supposed 
to consider?  As I said before, I think the objective facts suggest 
Lupin is headed to the Shack to transform, so Snape is lacking a good 
reason to leave the castle.  But then again, maybe JKR doesn't need 
objective facts in order to justify Snape's actions because his 
feelings are so strong.  Hmmmm.

Marina again:

> This also fits in with hints given earlier in the book that Snape 
>is 
> still afraid of Lupin.  

I hadn't considered the possibility that Snape is afraid of Lupin.  I 
kind of reached the opposite conclusion:  that Snape doesn't fear 
Lupin, Black, Dumbledore or anyone in the wizarding world 
except . . . Moody.  

::smiles at the idea that she now has an additional reason to like 
Moody::

There is a canon clue, after all, that Snape does not fear Lupin:  

"Lupin!"  Snape called into the fire.  "I want a word!"

Yup, Snape doesn't hesitate for one minute about summoning Lupin to 
his office.  Snape also feels quite comfortable glaring at Lupin and 
acting up (ridiculing Neville) in Snape's presence.  He also thinks 
nothing of criticizing Lupin to Dumbledore in the presence of Percy, 
and he does it again when he substitutes for Lupin and criticizes him 
in front of the DADA class.

Snape probably wouldn't do those things to someone he feared or even 
respected.  I mean, I can't imagine Snape summoning Moody like that 
unless Snape was on fire.

That Moody . . . Moody chills Snape right to the bone, doesn't he?  
Snape doesn't dare display open hostility toward Moody like he does 
toward the other DADA teachers.  

And in GoF, Snape changes abruptly on the staircase when Moody shows 
up.  Snape is ordering Filch around and snapping at Filch.  But when 
Moody arrives, "Snape stops talking abruptly."  A vein "flickered 
horribly on Snape's greasy temple."  The normally-articulate Snape 
starts speaking in incomplete sentences.  Snape uses a soft voice, 
a "voice of forced calm" and speaks through clenched teeth.  Then 
Snape retreats, saying "I think I will go back to bed."  

The comparison between Snape's conduct with Moody versus Lupin 
suggests that Snape isn't the least bit afraid of Lupin, I'd say.

Sirius isn't intimidated by Lupin, either.  Sirius is lunging at 
Peter and heckling Lupin during Lupin's werewolf adventures speech, 
so he isn't at all afraid of Lupin.  

The only person who seems to be terrified of Lupin is, uh, Scabbers.  
And maybe Crookshanks.  :-)

Cindy