TBAY - Prank and the (Second) Pensieve Four

[Kirstini]

No: HPFGUIDX 77955

 Down on the beach, Marina was smiling, having just explained the 
Prank rather concisely. "Sometimes the simplest explanations really 
are best."
She loosened her grip on Kirstini's throat for a moment. Kirstini 
emitted a few sputtery noises.
"I think she wants to say something," Derranimer observed.
Marina dropped Kirstini onto the beach. Kirstini picked herself up, 
and began whispering hoarsely.
"For goodness sake! Didn't you read any of my pre-exposition 
disclaimers? I *love* Sirius. I do! The thing is - "
Befofre she could carry on, an owl had swooped out of nowhere with a 
piece of parchment attached to its leg. It landed on Kirstini's 
shoulder, money bag held out expectantly.
"It's from Arcum," said Kirstini. "It says that your explanation is 
too straightforward for JKR. And I'm inclined to agree with him or 
her. Although he/she does says something else which, while offering a 
more complex explanation, can't be right. Ahem - 
"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. James then "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..." "

Kirstini concluded, and looked at the assembled company, her face 
slightly screwed up. "The thing is, there isn't any life debt there, 
is there? I remember this coming up in an old SUNLIGHT ULTRA 
discussion - if Remus hadn't really intended to kill Peter in the 
Shrieking Shack, then Peter wasn't bound by a real magical contract 
to Harry. Ditto Snape to James in this scenario, which is why I feel 
that James hadn't been in on it from the beginning. The reason I was 
so long-winded with my first" - here she paused, and glared at 
Marina - "explanation was that I felt that the Prank had to be the 
catalyst for the emotional changes which take place in the group 
dynamic over the next five years. It's the latest piece of 
information about the Marauders that we have before Peter betrays 
James, and because it hasn't been discussed in canon fully, I think 
that there's got to be something more to it. In Arcum's version, 
there's no explanation of any moral turnaround in James. There 
doesn't necessarily have to be one, as James carried on hexing Snape 
after the Prank (the sensitive wee bugger), but this version of James 
isn't one that Hagrid etc. would describe in such glowing terms. And  
Marina's explanation, which cuts out Peter and Lily completely, 
offers no potential for motivation in Peter to betray or Lily to fall 
in love. Again, it doesn't have to - I'm still working on the fact 
that this is the last piece of information we have about the group. 
But Lily has to understand the danger that both James and Snape were 
in if the Prank is the point where she begins to see James in another 
light - and the fact that Remus was a werewolf wasn't ever disclosed 
to the rest of the school. And as for Sirius," Kirstini sighed sadly. 
Marina bristled.

"Sirius isn't stupid. He couldn't be plotting murder for weeks 
without realising that he was plotting murder."

"Well, he managed not to realise it in the time it took to come up 
with the scheme, put it into practise, have James informed of what he 
had done (somehow), and have Snape rescued. Nope, I'm sticking with 
my original idea on this one. Sixteen" (she extended a friendly 
tongue at Marina) "year-old Sirius was such a superior, oblivious 
creature that he'd never really thought about wee Snivelley as a 
human being. His life wasn't an issue, up until the point where it 
became endangered. Actually, I think he comes out of my version 
slightly better than he does in yours. At least in mine it can all be 
attributed to *adolescent* stupidity..."

Something in Marina's face at this point made Kirstini wonder if 
perhaps she'd gone too far with that one. She took a couple oof steps 
back, and adjusted her scarves round her neck.
"And I'm really, really ill." she said, pathetically.