[HPforGrownups] Re: Exorcizing the Prank

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 38780

Finwitch:
> They *could* have been in 5th year or 6th when the event took place - 
> Sirius could have turned 16 during his 5th year. (6)
> They begun to learn animagi during their 3rd year (8)
> and were finished at the end of their 6th year (7).
> 
> So - it's likely they weren't animagi *yet* when the event took 
> place, but only working on it, almost there, but not quite. However, 
> they could have done something to help their friend as soon as they 
> found out.

Canon actually states that they took less than ('the best part of') three 
years to become animagi. Lupin says they achieved it in Fifth year. I think 
the clear implication, assuming that Lupin tells his story chronologically, 
is that they were, by the time of the Prank, although I'm not sure how 
relevant it is, really.

> 
> James lent the invisibility cloak for Lupin to be able to get into 
> the tunnel unnoticed easier. (Madam Pomfrey may have shrunk him or 
> used an invisibility spell before that and *taken* him there).

An intriguing idea, but unfortunately contradicted by canon.
Lupin says that Snape *saw* Madam Pomfrey leading him to the willow . The 
text is slightly ambiguous, it *could* have been on an earlier occasion, 
although I think the implication is that it was on the night of the Prank.
James lending the invisibility cloak to Remus implies that Madam Pomfrey 
knows that James, at least, knows Remus' secret and we have no canon evidence 
of this. It also contradicts the canon evidence that Madam Pomfrey visibly 
led Remus to the willow (and there is no indication that she shrank him or 
anything else - in fact, this could have been quite useful, couldn't it? A 
shrunken Remus could presumably have been contained quite easily!). Use of 
the invisibility cloak is also contradicted by Lupin's statement that the 
others used to sneak out of the castle under the invisibility cloak when they 
went to visit him. 

Sorry, this all sounds terribly negative, but I do appreciate your brave 
attempt to turn the Prank into a misunderstanding!  :-)

Eloise







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