The length of the Pensieve Scene

[curlyhornedsnorkack]

No: HPFGUIDX 118266


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich wrote

> ...if that is the case, why didn't Remus and Sirius tell Harry that
> when he confronted them through the fireplace?  If there were any
> reason whatsoever that would have in some way explained James'
> actions that day, they would have told Harry because their prime
> concern at that moment was his feelings.
...
> Instead they tell him that people are idiots at 15 ("I'm 15!" - love
> that line) and that they were sometimes arrogant birks, and Remus
> says that he never told them "to lay off Snape", that they were "out
> of order" (which is a funny pun, if you think of it: order/Order). 
> There's nothing in their discussion to indicate that Snape was
trying
> to do anything to them.

Very punny!
Since Lupin and Sirius are adults in the fire scene, they would
probably realize that Snape's action of following the Marauders
wouldn't have excused their actions towards Snape. Also, they might
realize that trying to excuse themselves by blaming Snape for their
cruelty would be a bad example for a teenager. Besides, since Snape is
in the OOTP, it would not be in the Order's interest for them to
exacerbate bad feeling for Snape. 


> As for exposing Remus' secret: the person who did that was Sirius
> Black, one of his closest friends, and that apparently happened in
> the next school year, according to canon.

I can't remember this - where is it? Are you referring to the part in
POA where Sirius admits luring Snape into a trap?
If so: 
It's possible that Sirius could have tried to solve the Snape problem
by having Snape be bitten by a werewolf. If he did not die he would 
become a werewolf, and Snape, who would be in the same position as
Lupin, would lose his compulsion to expose Lupin as a werewolf. 


> James was not punishing Snape - he was providing amusement for
Sirius
> because he was bored ("'I'm not proud of it,'  Sirius said
quickly.")

Snape's selection of some dense bushes near the Marauders to sit by 
and the actions I mentioned previously continue to be suspicious, even
if the Marauders take the opportunity to amuse themselves by punishing
him for snooping. 

Perhaps the following should be new thread, but what the heck: 
As for Sirius' comment, "I'm not proud of it" Sirius might have been
lying. Immediately after Sirius said it, "Lupin looked sideways at
Sirius". To me, this action means that Lupin might have been sceptical
of Sirius' sincerity. I think Sirius said it because he figured it was
 what a godfather who was partly responsible for Harry's moral
development should say to a teenage boy. In the real world, I bet some
parents who admit to their children that they took drugs when they
were young say "I'm not proud of it", even when they are unrepentant.

 
> Also I'm not clear on how Snape was following the Marauders when it
> was him who left the hall first and the Marauders followed him.  

It seems that Snape got through the Great Hall door first, but it's
not clear who actually got through the Entrance Hall first.
JKR writes a few paragraphs later that Harry looked "behind him again"
to see what Snape was doing, in case Snape went in a different
direction from the Marauders. 


> Sirius' claim that Snape was sneaking around trying to get them
> expelled (and so deserved whatever happened during the Prank) takes
> on some context after the Pensieve episode.  Sirius is maddenly
> imprecise about when Snape started trying to get them expelled -
> notice that it doesn't come up in his description of James and Snape
> to Harry.  If he tried to get them expelled after what we see in the
> pensieve, I would find it hard to condemn Snape for that.

I haven't actually written anywhere that I think Snape deserved what
happened to him, but I have provided a realistic motive besides
boredom for the Marauders. There is a difference between "motive" and
"excuse".  Also, I am not condemning Snape, I am suspecting him of
spying. Snape could think he's spying for the good of Hogwarts! After
all, even Lupin said no parent would want a werewolf in the school. 

"curlyhornedsnorkack"