Snape, Lupin, and the map

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 96638

Tim Regan (Dumbledad) wrote:

> I've just been listening to PoA again, and I don't get why Snape 
> lets Lupin leave his office with the Marauder's Map. <snip>

> Why is Snape summoning Lupin? The reason he gives is
> "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to 
> be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got 
> such a thing?"
> But I got the impression that this was a bluff for Harry, and that 
> Snape was aware of the marauders' nicknames. <snip>

> Again it feels like Snape knows who Moony is. But then comes the 
> weird bit

> "Well!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around 
> cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this 
> back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his 
> robes. <snip>
 
> Now, why doesn't Snape reply "No Lupin, I think I'll investigate the 
> parchment further"? The marauders were good, but it's difficult to 
> imagine teenage magic defeating our Snapey for long. <snip>>
> 
> So what does Lupin have over Snape in this altercation? Why doesn't 
> Snape keep the map?


Carol:
I think you're right that Snape knew perfectly well who had made the
map (though he didn't know it was a map yet) or he would not have
summoned Lupin. I also agree that they were both bluffing to give away
as little as possible to Harry and that Snape would have figured out
how to work the map before long if he had kept it.

But when Lupin says, "I'll take this *back,* shall I?" he's reminding
Snape that as one of the original makers of the map, he's also one of
the owners--and the only one in a position to claim it. That's the
only possible meaning for "back," as he hasn't had it in his
possession before Snape confiscated it from Harry. Snape can't make a
scene without revealing information Harry isn't supposed to know--and
however much he dislikes Lupin, he probably trusts him enough to know
that he won't return the parchment to Harry as long as he's a Hogwarts
teacher, so it's still confiscated even if it's no longer in Snape's
possession. 

In any case, I don't think it's a matter of Lupin "having something
over Snape." Lupin is simply the rightful owner of the magical bit of
parchment and Snape has no choice but to give it to him, like it or not.

Carol