[HPforGrownups] How did Snape see Lupin the night of the Prank?

[Rita]

No: HPFGUIDX 50687



Puzzled!Maria:

So, how does the tunnel from the Whomping Willow end? I had always assumed
that it ended *under* the Shack, and one could get into the Shack through a
trapdoor in its floor. I got that notion from the next quote: “Harry pulled
himself out of the hole, staring around.” 

That actually makes sense if the passage is underground. The passage to
Honeydukes, which also, I assume, was an underground one, ended with a
trapdoor in the floor of the cellar. 

Me:
 Well, Maria I don't think you have much to be puzzled about, your reading
might be correct and supported by the canon available without any
inconsistencies.
 I guess I read it just as you do, the passage is underground just like the
one to Honeydukes; as you say if there is a trapdoor at the end of this one
too, Snape would have not been able to get a glimpse of Werewolf!Remus but
it's you who provide proof that there''s a little difference with that other
passage:

"Instead, Harry could see a patch of dim
light through a small opening.” 

Meaning that the end of the tunnell is not bloked by a door of any kind, it
s just a hole in the floor trhough which Harry has to pull himself out  (
but I wonder if one would use the same words in case the hole was not in the
on the floor but in a wall). In this way Snape could have seen Lupin walking
in the room above him  ( so his saying "at the end of the tunnell" is
correct because the hole *is* the end of the tunnell and if he was close to
it he *was* at the end of the passage)  if he was quite close to this
opening.

So, Snape didn't get "as far as this house” , it's from the passage that he
got a glimpse of Lupin.
 Now the only thing that doesn't make sense is why that hole is not bloked
in some way! Wouldn't Werewolf!Remus be able to get out of the Shack? Weren
t all doors and windows boarded up for this reason, to prevent him from
going about and harming people? Did they just assume that it was not
necessary because the Whomping Willow would take care of that? This is the
only sensible reason I can think of, Dumbledore didn't think necessary to
have a door at the end of the passage because the WW would prevent W!R to
get out while 'guarding' the entrance to the tunnell from overcuriuos
students.

Did my ramblings  help?
R

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