[HPforGrownups] Digest Number 2494 - Who Told James?

[midgiecat at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 51489

An interesting thought was raised by Sunnylove0 at aol.com in the Who Told James 
discussion.  She queries, how did Lupin find out about the prank?  

As Lupin was in his werewolf form that night, he would stay in it until after 
the full moon disappeared, surely a day or two?   One of the other marauders 
would have had to tell him.   And she is correct in that it would have been 
days after the actual prank occurred.  So IMHO, anything Lupin is relating in 
this scene would be days older than Sirius' recollection.

As to Who told James, I have an alternate suggestion.   

I am wondering if Pettigrew could have told James, being a little tattletale 
anyway.  As he was the smallest in animagus form, he is the one they depend 
on to push the knot in the Whomping Willow, but I am sure he is always the 
last to go into the tunnel (following after his larger friends).   He would 
have been able to hear Sirius talking to Snape just outside the tree, (Snape 
wouldn't have noticed a rat) and could have run to find James - either in 
delight about the surprise Snape was going to get, or be horrified at what 
was undoubtedly going to happen when Snape met the werewolf. 

This brings up another question. Where was James when he was told of the 
prank?

Was he already in the Shack with a transformed Lupin?  Or was he making his 
way through the tunnel toward the shack - either in wizard form or animagus 
form.  Or had he not yet entered the tunnel.   

I had the feeling when reading this passage that Snape had almost gotten a 
glimpse of Lupin as the werewolf, as he had gotten all the way through the 
tunnel and was at the bottom of the steps leading up to the open trap door.

More questions.  Wouldn't it be dangerous for James to be in wizard form 
going to intercept Snape, in case Snape actually got near the werewolf?  But 
he couldn't know how close Snape was to the shack, and he couldn't let Snape 
see him in his animagus form.  So I'm presuming that James took the chance 
and went to save Snape in wizard form. 

Brenda W. (midgiecat at aol.com)


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