Prank and the (Second) Pensieve Four (was TBAY)

[arcum42]

No: HPFGUIDX 77924

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "marinafrants" <rusalka at i...>
wrote:

> 
> "My theory," said Marina, "is that Peter had nothing whatsoever to 
> do with either the Prank or with James' interference, until after 
> the whole thing was over.  There was no middle man. Sirius, spurred 
> on by some event we don't yet know about, sent Snape to the
Whomping 
> Willow -- an impulsive, unplanned act of the sort we know Sirius is 
> prone to.  Having done it, he goes off to brag to James -- James
his 
> best buddy, James his parner in crime, James who hates Snivellus 
> too.  Except that James hadn't been around for whatever event got 
> Sirius so riled up at Snape.  James is able to think rationally.  
> James realizes that Sirius had just done something monumentally 
> stupid.  He rushes off to the rescue, and gets to Snape just in
time.
> 
> "There.  Isn't it lovely and clean?"  Marina gave a pleased 
> smile.  "No timing problems.  No need to come up with  explanations 
> as to why Peter didn't go to Remus, or why Lily failed to act until 
> the last moment.  Sometimes the simplest explanations really are 
> best."
> 
Too straightforward, though. JKR loves nothing more then to throw
unexpected curves our way.  

How about this? James wants to impress Lily, and knows how protective
she can be of Snape. Sirius wants to get back at Snape for something.
So they get together and form a plan.

Sirius sends Snape to the Whomping Willow, and lets James know that
everything is in place. James then watches the Marauders Map, and
"finds out" about the prank in front of Lily when he sees Snape on the
map headed towards the Whomping Willow, timing it so he can pull Snape
out and act like a hero before Snape was far enough in to get more
then a major fright. James is then a "hero", impressing Lily, and
Snape is scared out of his wits, per Sirius's intention.

In this case, there isn't even the random factor of getting there
"just in time". Everything is premeditated from the beginning, and
murder isn't intended by Sirius at all...

--Arcum