[HPforGrownups] Giving the map to Lupin (Was: Lupin's vampire essay)

[Thren]

No: HPFGUIDX 89878

Carol:

>We know that Lupin is acting in this scene, pretending not to know
>what the parchment is or who the makers are. But is Snape acting, too?
>Is he playing along, knowing at the very least who the makers are,
>guessing that it's a map (he knows Harry has sneaked into Hogsmeade),
>calling Lupin in as the supposed authority on the Dark Arts (shades of
>Lockhart and the CoS), and then letting Lupin take the parchment "back"?
>
>Are Snape and Lupin in this together?
>  
>

Thren:

Um.. yes? I thought it was pretty obvious from that whole scene that 
Snape knew if not exactly what the map was, then at least that it had 
helped Harry escape the school unnoticed. From the Pensieve scene we see 
that MWPP didn't exactly guard their nicknames, throwing them about in 
front of everyone like that. Rereading the whole scene, it's completely 
obvious they both know where it came from and were having this whole 
conversation trying to keep their true meaning secret from Harry. 
Calling Lupin in because it's "...supposed to be your area of expertise 
[...]" was a way to get him to come up with some answers without letting 
Harry know why. Consider, "You don't think it more likely that he got it 
*directly from the manufacturers?*" (emphasis not mine) Snape is 
accusing Lupin point-blank of giving the map to Harry (who has *no* clue 
what they're talking about). The only real slip up is that bit about 
taking the parchment 'back'. Obviously it makes perfect sense to Snape 
and Lupin, as they both know who it really belongs to (or at least who 
has the most claim to it), but it's also *our* giant clue that Lupin was 
one of these people. If Harry and Ron had more than two braincells 
between them, they'd have picked up on that fact as well.