Ginger Newts and The Prank

[Donna]

No: HPFGUIDX 82705

I'm not good at cutting and pasting and I wanted to respond to a 
couple of posts, so I hope this isn't too confusing.  

Kristini wrote about the Ginger Newts - 

Two points against biscuits-with-agenda:Firstly, the narrator doesn't 
record Harry experiencing any response to the biscuits. There isn't 
even a noticeably calmer response flagged up, and as he boils over 
again a minute later, I would say that the first biscuit hadn't been 
particularly successful. JKR, much as I love her, does tend to over-
emphasize responses to things like this. But this passage is utterly 
devoid of description of sensual experience.Secondly - and my 
original objection - it is utterly out of character. The same person 
who runs across a lawn to defend Hagrid from an unfair attack resorts 
to underhand tactics to manipulate her students? It doesn't make 
sense.So why on earth include the Ginger newts at all?

My thoughts -

I agree with you, Kristini.  This would be totally out of character 
for McGonnagall.  When the fake Moody turned Malfoy into a ferret, 
she told him they do not use transfiguration as a punishment for the 
students.  They give detentions; make them write lines, etc.  There 
is no way that McGonnagall would use any form of magic to punish or 
calm a student.  The Ginger Newts are probably a favorite snack of 
hers as she keeps them in a tin on her desk.  I have a particular 
fondness for chocolate, and I keep a bag of sugarless chocolate mints 
at my desk at work.  I often share them with others who are upset or 
just visiting.
  
Jeff wrote about the prank – 

Jeff:

I can see your point. I just wondered what James' motives were. 
Was it to impress Lily? Did he think that this prank, out of all the 
ones they've done, was a bit too much? Somehow I doubt it, simply 
because had James had a change of heart and meant to be gallant and 
all that, Snape would've had a slightly better opinion of him, which 
apparently he doesn't and he even carries his hate on to the next 
generation of potters. If he lives, will he hate Harry's offspring? 
Possibly. Snape didn't trust James nor appreciate what he did, so 
that leads me to believe that James didn't stay all that nice very
long.  It remains to be seen, but we'll have to wait until a later 
date to be certain.

Now my thoughts –

I do not think that James saved Snape because of Lily.  Here's
what I think happened.  James and Snape hated each other right from 
the beginning.  Now why that happened is anyone's guess.  But the
things that James did to Snape were not life threatening.  It is 
implied that they used jinxes on each other, much the same way that 
Harry and Draco do.  

Of the marauders, it is Sirius who is more of the risk taker.  James 
encouraged them all to become animagi to be with Lupin as a friend.  
I can certainly see Sirius encouraging them to leave the Shrieking 
Shack to take their adventures further.

I think Sirius ran into Snape and told him to follow the secret 
passage under the Whomping Willow without thinking of the 
consequences.  Then he probably ran to James and told him what was 
happening thinking James would appreciate the joke.  I can see James 
telling Sirius off for that and then running to catch Snape before 
anything serious happened.

Of course Snape would not believe that James rescued him for purely 
unselfish reasons.  He probably thought James was in on the joke and 
at the last moment "chickened out".

Of course all this is pure speculation on my part.  I do wish we knew 
the publication date of the next book!  

D