Two Wormtails was Re: Plot in OotP (wand confusion)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 118395


Pippin wrote:
> 
> <snipped by Alla>
> 
> Wormtail is identified later in the book when Lupin tells about 
> the Animagi. But the mystery which is not solved, and has been 
> asked many times on this list, is "What did Snape know about 
> the 'manufacturers' that made him question Lupin?"
>  
> If the names and their meanings were common knowledge, then 
> there's no reason for Snape to be so oblique -- he can just say, 
> "It seems Harry has come by one of your old school things. I'd 
> like an explanation, Lupin, if you'd be so kind."
> 
> 
> Alla responded:
> 
> Forgive me for coming back to the plot-based reasons, but NO, not 
> for a second I would think that Snape could say something like that 
> in the middle of the book. The fact that Snape knew Marauders was 
> meant to be revealed at the end of the book and it was, IMO. If 
> Snape said something like what you suggested, the answers would have 
> been given too early in the book.
> 
> The reader is not supposed to know yet that Snape and Marauders are 
> somehow connected, I think.

Carol adds:
And neither is Harry. I'm not sure how much Snape knew about MWPP and
their nicknames--I'm certain he didn't know that they were
animagi--but the scene makes sense only if both he and Lupin know who
the makers of the map/parchment are and are keeping that knowledge
from Harry. Lupin's "I'll take this *back,* shall I?" also makes sense
only in this context. He never had the map in PoA; Snape took it from
Harry who got it from the Twins who took it from Filch's cabinet.

That line confused me mightily when I first read the book. If Harry
were paying closer attention, it would have confused him, too. But
Snape lets Lupin take the parchment without a word, recognizing that
he is, indeed, one of the "manufacturers." Either he had heard at
least one of the names previously or he "put two and two together as
only Snape could":(four people, all male, who insulted him--one of
them named Moony, which could relate to the full moon. . . . Snape is
quick and clever and knows who his enemies are, or were--the parchment
is clearly old and could relate to his youth, and the insults are
clearly the taunts of teenager, not adults. It wouldn't take too much
effort on his part to deduce that Lupin was one of those four students
and to infer the identity of the others from his.

At any rate, there's more at stake in this scene and many others than
the necessity of suppressing information for the plot's sake. The
characters, Harry excepted, know more than we do, and we, like Harry,
are being given information (and red herrings) piecemeal because it
suits the characters' needs and motives as well as JKR's. IMO, it's
important if we're going to understand the backstory to determine who
knew what and when. In this case, we need to figure out how much Snape
knew about MWPP.

Granted, we'll disagree among ourselves, but we ought at least to try
to figure it out. With luck, we'll find out more in HBP. Until then,
the canon is subject to individual interpretation, and "JKR is
suppressing information," however true, is not sufficient for me or,
I'm guessing, for most of us on this list.

Carol, who is actually all but caught up on posting!