Time-turning

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 112696

The Other Cheryl wrote:
Hm. Still DD does comment about the shape of Harry's Patronus. Snape 
> is the most reasonable suspect to have described it. Perhaps 
Hermione saw it? 

Hannah replies: I think he was referring to the patronus cast by 
Harry during the quidditch match against Ravenclaw, which charged 
down Malfoy and co.  I don't think anyone had seen the patronus by 
the lake.

Cheryl again:
>Still, I suspect that Snape was lying, by omission at least, about 
one part of the night's events.
>Think about what he said about the map. He looks at it, sees it's a 
> map and locates Lupin heading into the Willow tunnel where he 
KNOWS MWPP used to 
> meet. Snape assumes that Lupin's going to meet Sirius. Wouldn't he 
> immediately try to locate Harry? What he would see at that point 
with the trio 
> [including Harry1 and Hermione1] already in the Shrieking Shack? 
Harry2, Hermione2 and...Buckbeak! Well, now he knows the 
annoyingbrat did rescue the creature. He also sees that the stupid 
boy is outside, with a werewolf and a murderer. Off he charges to 
the rescue, forgetting to bring the potion. 

Hannah: Good point about him seeing time-travelled H and H with 
Buckbeak, I'd never thought of that!  But he wouldn't have seen 
those in the Shrieking Shack as it is out of Hogwarts grounds.  He 
saw Lupin heading that way and realised he was probably up to 
something he shouldn't be, and raced off in the hope of catching him 
and Black.  

I don't think that he even considered Harry at this point, 
especially if he had already seen him and Hermione elsewhere on the 
map.  He had no reason to even think Harry was in need of rescue.  
He just saw his chance to 'get' Lupin and hopefully Black.  Only 
when he reached the shack did he find Harry there in supposed danger.

He may have wondered later how H and H had got into the shack when 
he'd seen them elsewhere on the map a short time before, but in the 
excitement he probably forgot all about it.

Hannah, who as a Snape fan wishes she could believe in a more noble 
interpretation of his actions, and would be very interested to hear 
Cheryl's theory on Snape's actions that evening.