Case for Marauders

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 110045

RMM said:
"5th year ends and the boys go home from school.
That summer, Sirius moves out and into the Potters, before his 6th 
year at Hogwarts.
(This means that Voldemort is very popular at this time, because 
Sirius' parents are really being too much for Sirius.)
Sirius and James enter their 6th year at Hogwarts."

DuffyPoo:
Agreed, to this point, at least as far as Sirius moving in with the Potters goes.  We don't know if Sirius' leaving was a cumulative effect of years of hearing the pure-blood purist crap, or caused because he now knows lots of half-bloods and muggle-borns at school and doesn't think they are any better or worse than anyone else, or if something specific happened at home which caused him to finally split.  I believe Sirius and James (and his family) share the same pure-blood mentality.  Or, I guess, don't share the mentality that to be pure-blood makes you better than anyone else.  If James, or the Potter family, had the same mentality about pure-bloodism as Sirus' family, he would never have gone there to live, IMO, and probably wouldn't have been best friends with James.  

RMM said:
"Something happens in the 6th year, because Sirius finds his OWN PLACE 
TO LIVE between his 6th and 7th years at Hogwarts."

DuffyPoo:
Yes, something happens.  Sirius turns seventeen, becomes an adult in the wizarding world, and has been given a good bit of gold by his Uncle Alphard. Sirius now is of age to move out on his own and has the means to do so, so doesn't need to rely on the kindness of the Potter family any longer.  

RMM said:
"He only visits the Potters for Sunday dinner.  This tells me that his visits are with
the parents (who have "adopted" him) and not to James.
Where is James?"

DuffyPoo:
That's quite a stretch for me to follow.  Sirius visits the Potters for Sunday dinner, in a family environment to share a family meal with friends, including James, because the Potter family is kind to their son's friends and don't want to see Sirius alone for Sunday lunch.  I see no evidence, in canon, that James ever left his family home until he married Lily.  [How many people here who had a child fall out with a best friend, would continue to invite the former best friend for Sunday lunch?  I can imagine not many.  I certainly wouldn't, no matter how much I cared for the child, it is disloyal to my own child, even if I think my own child is the one in the wrong and is being a perfect idiot.]

RMM said: 
"Remus, being a prefect, has influence over others."
<snip>
"And I believe what Remus says when he said that HE LED OTHERS and 
himself...."

DuffyPoo:
Canon shows Lupin had very little, if any, influence over his friends. "'No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge.' [Sirius] 'I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends,' said Lupin, 'I need scarcely say that I failed dismally.'"  I think this shows, quite well, that Lupin couldn't have led James and Sirius anywhere; he had no control over them, he says so himself.  He doesn't make one move to interfere in the 'Snape's worst memory' scene, yet he knows what they are doing is wrong, and he should be putting a stop to it, "Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows."  I don't think he could have had much influence over anyone else, either, or perhaps he would have been made Head Boy instead of James.

"He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally."  I think Lupin is merely taking the responsibilty for the whole werewolf/Animagi situation here.  He never suggested, that I can see, that James, Sirius and Peter learn how to become Animagi.  They did so, on their own, because they were his friends, because they figured out what his monthly absences meant, and knew, as animals, they could spend time with him when they couldn't do so as humans.  Sirius and James worked it out on their own probably letting Lupin in on their progress, so he feels he led them into becoming Animagi because he never did anything to stop them.  He never told DD because he had friends, for the first time in his life, who were willing to do anything for him, no matter how dangerous.  Lupin had two years to try to stop them, but he chose not to, therefore, in his mind, leading them into it.  When they did finally get it worked out in fifth year, they not only accompanied Lupin in the Shrieking Shack, they went on rampages around Hogsmeade and Hogwarts grounds, not caring about the safety of others, which had been one of DD's chief concerns.  Lupin, having to admit to DD that the others were Animagi, would mean "admitting I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me..."  Lupin would have to admit that they, together, had broken the rules that DD had set down for his, and others' safety, and had run around Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts grounds, regardless of the danger in which that placed themselves, and others, students and townsfolk included.  (Very like Harry, actually, who despite the security measures put in place at Hogwarts to protect him from Sirius Black, went into Hogsmeade - illegally - anyway, which Ron and Hermione both knew about and took part in.)

RMM said: 
"That something is the entrance of James, Remus, and Peter into the 
clutches and organization of Voldemort."

DuffyPoo:
Canon please? 

RMM said:
"Meantime, Sirius is one who begins to miss his friend James terribly, 
now has to make a decision:  join James or not.
I believe he breaks down and joins up."

DuffyPoo:
I think the fact that canon states that Sirius left his family of Dark Wizards because of their pure-blood mania precludes Sirius ever joining this group, had James, himself ever joined (which, from what has been told in canon about James, I find highly doubtful).  First off, I don't believe, from canon, that there ever was a rift between James and Sirius.  James and Sirius are supposed to be very bright.  It wouldn't have taken either of them long, if they were in the organization, to figure out just what was going on.  We already know that Sirius wouldn't be interested in that deal, and, IMO, we can take from canon that James would never have been interested in it either (he has *always* hated the dark arts, and certainly appears to have disdain for the use of the word Mudblood - insisting Snape apologise to Lily, saying he would /NEVER/ call her a you-know-what - he's certainly not coming from the same blood purity prejudice as Snape or Malfoy, at least).  IF (big IF IMO) they ever were involved in such a group, no matter how well sugar-coated the lie was, they would have run quickly away when they figured it out, and wouldn't have thought twice about exposing the group to DD.  I posted the other day, that if the Marauders had all been part of this group, and then all but PP left the group, I can't see how James, Sirius or Lupin would ever trust PP again with anything, never mind anything as important as being James and Lily's Secret-Keeper.  

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