Snape and the Nicknames

[rhosyn4u]

No: HPFGUIDX 67971

Amanda said:
> Apologies if this has been aired, I have not even remotely been 
following
> everything. Not even all the Snape stuff (gasp).
> 
> Okay, I fail to see how Snape could have missed that Sirius called 
James
> "Prongs" in his memory. It was not the references they were making 
amongst
> themselves, which we can argue away as the Pensieve's ability to 
record the
> totality of the moment rather than the perspective of the 
rememberer. It was
> when Snape was right there and Lily had just refused to go out 
with James.
> 
> Given that. I find it hard to credit that Snape could have known 
that Sirius
> called James "Prongs," and not think that Lupin was connected with 
that name
> at all.
> 
> Given *that*--I find it beyond odd, now, the way Snape reacted 
when the Map
> insults him in PoA. Because he truly does not seem to think Lupin 
was a
> party to the Map or its insults. Or was he hoping to trip Lupin up 
and make
> him reveal himself? From JKR's comments, we now know that Snape is 
indeed
> interested in the DADA post; he doubtless considers himself an 
authority;
> why in the world would he consult Lupin whom he hates? Unless he 
was trying
> to trap him.
> 
> My thoughts are not complete on this; I only noticed this a day or 
so ago in
> rereading. Any input?

The only explanation that really pretty much explains it all is that 
Snape *did* know the names, which is why he called in Lupin and why 
they talked about it in that absurdly obvious dance-around-the-point-
so-we-don't-give-anything-away-to-Harry way. 

Snape: "This parchment is plainly full of dark magic." (Is this 
thing what it appears to be?)
Lupin: "It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment 
that insults anybody who reads it." (Yes.)
Snape: "You don't think it more likely he got it *directly from the 
manufacturers?*" (If he got it from you or James, fine; but if Black 
had it last...)
Lupin: "It looks like a Zonko product to me..." (Don't worry... 
Black couldn't have possibly.) 

And so on. That also explains why, in answer to Harry's questioning 
what Snape meant "directly from the manufacturers, Lupin tells him 
that the Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfood, and Prongs would have 
found luring him out very funny... Snape must have known who they 
were to know that.

~rhosyn =)