Clues to 6&7 in POA film

[jimlaming]

No: HPFGUIDX 100616

   Sherry wrote:
   
   I was thinking about this yesterday. Whenever Harry used the map in
   the book, it was to go to Hogsmeade. at those times, Ron was 
already
   in Hogsmeade, wasn't he? So Harry wouldn't have seen Peter's name
   because Peter was with Ron. after Peter faked his death by
   Crookshanks, we don't know where he was, except that he ended up 
in a
   bottle in Hagrid's hut on the fateful day. I think he must have 
been
   off the grounds in some way every time Harry looked at the map,
   otherwise, Harry would have seen his name. Unless Harry just wasn't
   looking in the right place, being focused on who might catch him
   sneaking out, not on who might be wandering on the grounds. If that
   makes any sense.
   
  
  Luckie:
  
  But why didn't the twins ever notice Pettigrew when they had the 
  map? Ron was in his third year in PoA, they had had the map since 
  their first year, so they had 2 full years in which to stumble on 
  Pettigrew's name. The only thing I can think of is that 1) they 
  didn't know who Pettigrew was (Although I think they did - can 
  anyone find them mentioning Sirius's supposed crimes in canon?) or 
  that, like Harry, they were simply looking at the part of the map 
  they needed to escape at that particular moment - which wouldn't 
  have been gryffindor tower, where Peter was.
  
  ~Luckie
 
 dorapye:
 I was skimming through PoA to find canon regarding the map and PP.  
 Harry only actually use the map once before PP fakes his death again 
 and disappears (to Hagrid's Hut, more later..) At this point, he 
 uses the map to observe the corridors around the one-eyed old crone 
 and then disappears down the tunnel; Ron is already in Hogsmeade, 
 but even if we assume that he did not take PP with him (would PP 
 *want* to leave the safe school grounds, if he's scared that sirius 
 is after him?  I think Scabbers would have protested evry strongly 
 if Ron had tried to take him to Hogsmeade)then Harry would not have 
 even cast his eye over the Gryffindor common room or dorms, so would 
 not have identified PP on the map.
 
 However, Lupin says somethign very interesting in the Shrieking 
 Shack when explaining how he saw Peter:
 "...'I wastched you (the trio) cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's 
 hut.  Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid and set off back towards 
 the castle.  But you were now accompanied by someone else."
 
 Now, we know how Scabbers was discovered in Hagrid's hut, and I 
 think it is safe to assume that he had been hiding in the milk jug 
 in Hagrid's hut since before the trio arrived that evening.   So 
 why, if Lupin was looking at the map and observed the trio going 
 into the hut, did he not spot PP til they *left*?
 
 The answer would be that Hagrid's hut is a blind spot on the map.  
 It could be, as some have speculated, outside the Hogwarts grounds, 
 or it could be that when Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs 
 were designing their map, they left Hagrid's hut a blind spot, as 
 they were not likely to need info on who was moving around in there 
 for their marauding adventures; they only needed the corridors and 
 rooms of the castle, some of the grounds and the tunnels to show 
 mischief-inhibiting foes.  
 
 Hagrid, well we know if he catches the trio out after curfew, the 
 most they get is a stern shouting at from him, he certainly doesn't 
 dob them into to their head of House.  I'm willing to bet, with his 
 fondness for James and co, he took a similar attitude with MWPP.  
 Hagrid's hut was never a threat to the Marauders, so they didn't 
 bother to cover it on their map; you could see who went in and who 
 came out, but the hut was a blind spot.
 
 Of course, Peter would know this, which explains why he turned up 
 there.  He'd have known that Harry had the map, could've guessed 
 that with Lupin around now, the map may find itself in the hands of 
 teaching staff who might actually be able to work it and would see 
 him.  A very good reason to fake his death and hole himself up in 
 one of the few safe places within Hogwarts grounds where he would 
 not have been identified by the map.  And that's with Buckbeak 
 chained up there and being fed on rats - which just go to show how 
 desperate Peter must have been to evade his old friends.


Jim replies:

If this has been covered recently please forgive my late appearance 
at the dance
  I did look and found many past discussions of some of 
these points.  

This thread prompted me to question the Marauder's Map to discern or 
filter information once more (I really don't need much help me start 
questioning things.   ;-P    I found a few past posts, which explored 
the Map.  Here is my rehashing:

How could the user of the map, read all the names that are available 
in the school and on the grounds?  Look at a Common Room in the 
evening and all you would see is a pulsating, black splotch of dots 
and letters.  The same would hold true in the hallways during class 
changes and the Great Hall at meal times.  Harry never comments on a 
sea of moving dots that could be flowing around the map.  

Why didn't Fred and George see Scabbers!Peter with Ron before they 
gave the Map to Harry?  When Fred & George gave the Map to Harry, he 
doesn't see himself on it until he exits the classroom where he 
received it.  Does this mean it can't see into classrooms?  But it 
does see into DD's office as Harry notes that DD is pacing. It also 
sees Peeves in the Trophy room and Mrs. Norris "
prowling on the 
second floor."  

If Mrs. Norris shows up on the Map, does Crookshanks, Trevor or 
Hedwig?  How about Centaurs, Werewolves or House Elves?  And then 
there is Time Shifting Harry and Hermione?  

Dorapye speculates that there are dead spots, i.e. Hagrids' Hut.  I 
like that; safe zones maybe?  Was it designed with these Dead Spots 
for a specific reason or were they areas that the creators just 
didn't get to?  Could it be that the Map is able to evaluate the 
users intent and needs, then filter and display only those who are 
pertinent to the mischief at hand?  If you asked it, could it locate 
someone for you?  (I've got to find Ron. Where is he?)  Some posters 
thought maybe it shows someone only when they are moving.  I don't 
like that one myself, there is still too much movement.  Teens never 
sit still.

Lupin warns Harry that the creators of the map would think it funny 
to lure Harry out of bounds into Hogsmeade.  Does that infer that the 
Map could choose reveal, or not to reveal, information that would 
help the user in some way?  Perhaps to satisfy the Maps sense of 
mischief?  Remember Mr. Weasley's advice about magical objects that 
can think for themselves.  

The interaction with Professor Snape shows that there is a discerning 
and mischievous mind(s) at work within the map.  The responses are 
interactive and barbed.  I found an old post by *Evil*sushi which 
proposed that Harry "talk" to the map like Snape did and interact 
with his 15-16 year old father, Lupin, and Sirius.

This magic, like the magic Tom Riddle used to create his diary, seems 
to allow the object to "think" for itself.  If the Marauders could do 
it, why hasn't a teacher (Snape) done it to watch the castle for 
wayward, wandering students?

The possibilities for Harry and the Map are limitless.  Study of the 
movements on the Map could be very informative (if not invasive.)  
Blackmail anyone?  Ambush some favorite git?

WAIT A MINUTE!!!!  Crouch!Moody had the Map and used it!  Does this 
mean that Voldie knows about it and the secret passages?  Whoa, this 
could get interesting.  Harry is looking to slip out to Hogsmeade and 
sees the Dark Lord's army pouring into the castle through the hump-
backed witch.  I don't know if anyone has discussed this before.

JimLaming, whose questions annoy his wife to distraction.