Another look at the prank...

[sophineclaire]

No: HPFGUIDX 46980

Spend enough time with a Snape THeory and eventually the Prank has 
to come into play. If you recall, in POA, when the teachers get 
nostaglic about James and Sirius, a comment is made about how they 
were two of the best students in school. Now, they could be talking 
purely in terms of grades or as being all-around students. Lets 
assume that they are talking about grades.....



Maybe it was Sirius who was Top Dog of Gryffindor. Sirius was the 
prefect, not James, who's only real competition for the Head Boy 
position was that greaseball Snape (who's getting a little too 
curious for his own good).

Fast forward to after the prank, and DD is good n' pissed. He talks 
to the boys seperately, Telling Snape not to say a word to anyone, 
telling Sirius what a grievious thing he has done, and Praising 
James for being such a Hero, but what was he doing there in the 
first place ( With that twinkle in his eye, of course...). But it's 
not enough, DD is unsure whether it is Snape who should be punished 
for sneaking around/spying on other students ( oh the irony) or 
Sirius who has taken things one step too far and this is the proof 
that the boy might actually be harbouring some sort of problems that 
twinkle ever so slightly in past pranks.

What is DD to do? punish both boys. He tells Severus (since he is 
the hypothetical Victim) that he won't be suspended and can remain a 
prefect but will not be considered for Head Boy. At all.

DD tells Sirius that due to the nature of the prank, he will not be 
considered for the Head Boy position. It is too late in the year to 
remove him from his prefect position for it to have any real effect 
but Sirius will have bigger problems then the loss of the Head Boy 
position when he has to explain to Remus Lupin the 'WHYs' of the 
incident.

But what to do about the Head Boy position and how can he keep this 
how thing under-wraps? Given DD recent history of ensuring a 
Gryffindor vistory, why not do so then? And there is a perfect 
candidate for the job; James Potter.

Just make up some story at the closing feast (or opening feast if he 
takes the summer to think about) about some valient effort that 
James made in rescueing a stranger, how Jamea has been an all-around 
student and the perfect embodiment of the kind of person we should 
strive to be. Remus secret is kept safe and James is rightly 
rewarded for his bravery.

Sirius is kindof grateful, the Head Boy being from Gryffindor and 
his best friend. SOme people asked questions, but he is always able 
to pass it on by saying 'james deserves it' and knows that's the 
truth. At least the git got a good scare.

Severus on the other hand is stewing. Since neither Snape or Sirius 
talk to each other or anyone else outside ther respective circles, 
neither know of the other's punishment. But Severus is a little more 
on the ball. He sees the whole "Head boy Potter" spectacle as a way 
to protect Gryffindor pride and to prevent people from seeing how 
vindictive Sirius is. 

Or he could be slow or super bitter and believe that Sirius wasn't 
punished at all and making James Head-Boy just adds insult to injury 
to the whole 'life-debt' thing.

But hey, who cares about DD, that Gryffindor-loving, anti-dark arts, 
muggle-loving fool. Lord Voldemort believes that Snape was treated 
unfairly and coincidently has a position for him in his 
organization. Maybe, for once, Snape will have some respect.



SophineClaire---
   *Though Lupin is the real victim in this whole debatacle, imagine 
if we iserted Imperious!Sirius into the equation and the whole Prank 
was just a plot by Voldemort to lure Snape over to the Dark Side. We 
all know that Tom Riddle was the head of house for Slytherin during 
MMWP days ;-), why else would DD tell Harry " Not everyone knows 
that Tom Riddle and Voldemort are the same person...". Who needs 
Karkaroff to seduce Snape with 'wine'*