Prank

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 80292

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Rebecca Stephens 
<rsteph1981 at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- Richard <darkmatter30 at y...> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Somehow, I think Sirius might well have thought that
> > the worst that 
> > might happen would be that Snape would soil himself,
> > and get away 
> > after using a few of those curses he was famous for.
> >  He might well 
> > have been disappointed that James short-circuited
> > the prank, but 
> > still a bit pleased that Snape still had a bit of a
> > scare.  Had it 
> > gone much worse, I'm sure he would have felt badly
> > about it, despite 
> > Snape being the victim.  But I doubt he INTENDED to
> > KILL Snape, even 
> > if it was much easier for Dumbledore and Snape to
> > see it that way.
> > 
> > 
> > Richard
> 
> 
> All I can say is that all these years later, when
> Sirius should be both older and wiser, he still
> doesn't care.  He is not sorry.  That's horrible.  
> 
> Fact is, I'd have supported prosecution of Sirius at
> that point.  I don't tolerate "boys will be boys" when
> the only logical conclusion that can be made is that
> the victim (or "target" if you prefer) will be injured
> or killed.  Believing anything else when sending
> someone unprepared to face a wereworlf is willful
> ignorance.
> 
> 
> Rebecca

I don't see Sirius as necessarily "wiser," after all these years.  
Though many people think time makes you wiser, in reality it just 
makes you older.  It is what you do with that time that decides 
whether you become wiser or not.

But, that's not really my point here.  As the "prank" in fact never 
came off, I can see Sirius taking an attitude like, "Well, get over 
it, Snape!  No harm, no foul, you know ..."  Sirius has had more 
traumatic things to deal with during most of the intervening years 
than Snape's grudge over something that was not only a couple of 
decades ago, but which did Snape no real harm in any case.  There is 
something to be said for such an attitude.  However, taking it before 
one has internalized the fact that it was a very bad idea, and then 
apologizing very sincerely to the almost-victim, seems a bit of a 
character flaw to me.  But, again, Sirius has had other things on his 
mind.  Years spent in grief and contemplating revenge aren't likely 
to have left him with much desire to rethink and resolve things with 
regard to Snape, and Snape sniping at him surely didn't help put 
Sirius in a mood for such reconsideration, remorse and apology.

As for willful ignorance, I think that almost a definition of what it 
means to be a teen, even if it doesn't quite apply in this case.  To 
be a teen also often means that one is rather devoid of the knowledge 
and experience that leads one to the habit of forethought.  So, I can 
see Sirius at the time of the prank just not thinking about the 
possibility that Snape might be killed.  And, Snape was not 
exactly "unprepared," being armed with a wand and a substantial 
repetoire of curses, jinxes and other spells with which to face a 
werewolf.  I can't see Snape ... or anyone, for that matter ... 
walking blythely into the lair of a ravening werewolf without being a 
little cautious.  The Shrieking Shack earned its reputation from that 
werewolf's loud behavior, after all, and Snape would have been able 
to hear such growls, crashings, etc., while still in the tunnel, 
presumably with wand out for a Lumos to light the way, well before he 
reached the Shrieking Shack.


Richard