Making up our own book

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 114135


> Sylvia wrote:
> > The long wait for Book Six seems to be having an extraordinary 
> effect 
> > on posters.  An awful lot of recent posts seem to becoming wilder 
> and 
> > wilder in speculating not about future story lines but about past 
> > ones.
> There seems to be a great deal on the lines of "Maybe Snape did 
> something awful to Sirius to provoke him" - well beyond canon and 
> unproveable anyway.
> 
> Hannah now: But surely wild speculation is all part of the fun?  
> Suggesting really out-there theories that could just possibly be 
> true can lead to interesting discussions and new insight into what 
> could really be going on.  And lets admit, we've discussed all of 
> the obvious (and less than obvious) things many times.  As for 
> speculation about past events, I think the past is vital to the 
> future plot of the series.  Events like the prank, although they 
> happened in the past, will be expanded upon in the future and have 
a 
> bearing on future events. 
> 
> Surely the whole point of a group like this one is to discuss 
things 
> like 'maybe Snape did something awful to Sirius to provoke him'?  I 
> don't see that it's beyond canon, if it's supported by canon 
> evidence (such as Snape's character, the fact Sirius wasn't 
expelled 
> etc.).  And at the end of the day, it's all unproveable until book 
> six, or even seven comes out, or JKR says something unequivocal on 
> the subject.  If we stuck to what was proveable, what would we find 
> to discuss?
> 

Finwitch:

The story about the trick (mind you, 'trick' is the word Lupin used. 
Not so sure there was enough michievous intent to call it a prank) 
was given in PoA. During the same scene as it is proven that 
Pettigrew had tricked Sirius & *everyone* else to think that Sirius 
killed him and 12 Muggles! Sirius also blamed himself for persuading 
James to switch Secret-Keeper into Peter and never tell anyone... So 
discussion about whether or not it was Sirius' fault, or what 
*really* happened is not all that unfounded.

Ok, Snape calls it 'ability to commit murder at the age of 16', Lupin 
responds 'oh, that trick'. Sirius says nothing about it. Neither does 
the ratty man. So what are we left with, and how does this come up 
later or before?

Well, there is Snape's hatred towards the two Potters. The thing 
Snape could never forgive: James Potter saved his life. (after he had 
gone after Lupin into the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow) 
that follows all along.

Also, in Book #4 we hear about Snape's great ability to curse before 
he even came to school (including Dark Arts?). We also hear 
that 'James despised Dark Arts'.

And then, the pensieve scene gives a bit more light as to 
James&Sirius vs. Severus.

And since this old theme came up...

'Sirius Black was capable of murder at the age of 16' - could well be 
a trick of words, making Sirius look bad. It does not *exactly* 
say/accuse Sirius of even so much as attempting to kill anyone, only 
implying it!

And Lupin could have commented on the sentence as an old trick to 
imply someone probably doing bad deeds they never did.

That discussion doesn't even have to do with James Potter saving 
Severus Snape from the Shrieking Shack at ALL.

Sirius left home at 16 (breaking his mother's heart, said Kreacher).

Interesting age, that 16. Particularly as Harry will be 16 in the 
next book. (BTW, in the Pensieve scene, James Potter was *still* 15 -
'he was only fifteen, Harry') I just wonder, will Harry do like 
Sirius and leave home at 16, live with his friend (Ron, Hermione - or 
maybe the Weasley twins have appartment above their shop at Diagon 
Alley, so Harry as their financial backer could stay there) for a 
year and get his own place once he turns 17 (and is thus of age by 
wizarding standard.) It's not like he lacks the money to purchase a 
house - and maybe he even already has inherited one!

Finwitch