Ran out of posts so a couple of replies packed into one.

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 135869

Lisa/SassyMomOfThree:
The Sirius-admiration I've read about constantly since PoA has always
boggled my mind -- since we learned about that particular incident.
Sirius was no more than an orchestrator of an attempted murder, and
meant to frame an allegedly dear friend for said attempted murder.
While Sirius may have been on the "right" side of the fight against
Voldemort, he was NOT a nice person and should've been prosecuted then
and there, certainly not allowed to remain at school with his intended
victim.

Valky now (rubbing her red raw cheek):

Ouch! :-S 
I have to defend that I think you have that entirely wrong Lisa. The
prank couldn't fairly be called an attempted murder. I mean, look
again. Sirius plays with that werewolf every month, it's his favourite
past time. Does he think that a half competent wizard will survive an
encounter with his friend Lupin.. *yes*, he *does*, he's *arrogant*,
prideful, he thinks weekends with werewolves is something *everyone*
should do to build character. I'm not saying he's right about all
that, but I think it's pretty darn obvious he wasn't trying to murder
Snape. Yeah yeah maybe it's a warped mind that thinks it, but it is
*Sirius'* mind.

IMHO he was just after the last laugh when Snape came back seething
that Lupin was a werewolf and he could have been killed, Sirius just
wanted to say, "What werewolf? Oh *That* werewolf... hahah, *he's*
harmless, a pussy cat, we hang out together all the time... don't know
what you were scared of... " 

Of course things aren't going to follow this *perfect plan*, just like
the *perfect SK plan* wasn't as perfect as all that. But this flaw in
his reasoning doesn't make him a murderer, does it? Wasn't that the
main plot of the POA story.

Saraquel says: 
More significantly, why was Sirius allowed to stay at
Hogwarts and not expelled, what punishment did he recieve? If I was
Snape, knowing that someone had deliberately set out to either kill me
or at least make me into a werewolf for the rest of my life, I would
be pretty pissed off if they were only given a detention.
===============

Valky:
Quite possibly because *all Sirius did was taunt* Snape. Sevvie went
down the the Whomping Willow because *he wanted to*. Sirius didn't
grapple hold him and drag him down there. Why is it so easy to jump
from "push the knot in the tree" to attempted murder? I can't do it.. 

Snape gave Harry detention for almost accidentally killing Malfoy BTW.
I think the point therein lies.


 
> hg:
> Smith's murder was a long enough time out of Hogwarts that he
> wouldn't be trying to put a cup horcrux back in there, is what I
> meant. I got the impression that he worked for B&B for about 5
> years, which would have him disappearing for about 20 years. That
> part of the timeline has me confused, because Dumbledore says that
> Riddle hasn't been seen for about 10 years when he shows up at the
> headmaster's office, and Dumbledore doesn't become headmaster
> until 1970. Seems like there's a missing 10 years somewhere.

Jen: Oh dear, maths again! I'm wondering if this new information
will change the Lexicon dating of when DD became headmaster? The
1970 number was based on when Lupin was probably born and bitten,
and how Dumbledore becoming headmaster gave him the opportunity to
go to Hogwarts. One has to be an error though, either the info in
POA or the new info in HBP. Even if you stretch how long LV worked
at B & B, it would still place Voldemort's request to teach around
the early 60's, at the latest.

Valky:
Since JKR is a self confessed maths phobe I wouldn't placed a whole
lot of stock on cnon timelines revealing much at all except that Jo
ain't kidding about that.. LOL

Nevertheless I like to make these things work anyhow, if only to give
the Lexicon crew an extra set of wheels turning out here when new
canon brings up a question like this.. ( a small gesture of
appreciation for the work that they do for us :D)

Ok so setting our central mark at the end of 1945 - Tom is
approximately 17.
A Handsome young man (per HBP Hepzibah chapter) could be wiggled right
up to about 27 I'd say, it's only when you're pushing the 30 line that
alluding to a very young appearance starts to become false. So let's
excuse Tom for working at B&B's so long rather than getting stuck into
his plan earlier by saying perhaps he was really hunting for the
*right* Horcruxes and remained perfectly patient for them to come
along... ten years later he's 27 and *finally* Hepzibah reveals that
she has the Locket and the Cup so he takes them. It's 1955
approximately now, so about ten years later could be any which side of
1965 you like one or two years. 

This places Dumbledore as Hogwarts Headmaster possibly as little as
three years before the Marauders arrive, so the Lexicon timeline will
only need a little tweak to satisfy a fair estimate. 

Simply for something extra to do now, I'll suggest that Sacharissa
Tugwood, who died in 1966, was the significant death enabling
Voldemorts third Horcrux, as well as eliminating the competition for
his new line of face blurring serpentine cosmetics.. ;D

Juli:
After dealing with certain specifics (perhaps including removing
James and Lily's bodies), Dumbledore meets up with Snape at
Spinner's End. (Hogwarts seems unlikely, as McGonagall doesn't
seem to know the whereabouts of Harry Potter). Perhaps they
perform some magic protection on Harry, or perhaps they don't.
But it won't be enough, and Dumbledore must quickly decide
how best to protect Harry, because he is sure Voldemort will
return some day. Snape is no less certain.

Dumbledore decides Harry will be safest with his mother's
family, which has even more inpenetrable protection than
Hogwarts thanks to Lily's sacrifice. When Harry is old enough
to come to Hogwarts, they will have to figure out a way to
keep him completely safe there.

Now, Snape, who feels nothing for baby Harry, except perhaps
irritation at his crying, is filled with remorse and anger. He can't
undo what's been done. He can't bring back Lily, and now he can
never repay his life debt to James. But, he thinks, perhaps in
a moment of irrational emotion, maybe there is something else
he can do, something if not equal, at least close enough. He
can take an Unbreakable Vow to protect their son, Harry.

I'm sure I missed some points that might negate this theory, so
have at it ;-)

Valky:
It's a good theory but there are a few omissions, :( which will negate
most of it unless you grapple you way around it.

Sirius flew to GH after he couldn't find Peter he met with Hagrid
there and lent his bike to Hagrid to transport Harry on. By all
accounts SB and RH definitely met up at GH to collect Harry, so Snape
probably didn't do this at all.

The second matter, which might seem a little semantic to you, is the
Unbreakable Vow, I seriously doubt that DD would consider a UV an
ironclad reason for trust. LV might, Narcissa and Bella obviously did,
but that's because they are Death Eaters They think Death rules and
controls everybody. DD is different, he doesn't grant death that much
power over his mind, not even nearly.. I would say that in DD's eyes
Unbreakable Vow is a misnomer, because the promise maker can always
*choose* to die.


Karen (re: 10 Downing street and Emmelines murder):
My conclusion is that this is an extremely busy area of London and she
could have been doing anything! Sorry.

Valky:
Darn it, I was hoping for something to stand out really loudly, like a
sore thumb, about the area, but apparently a dead end.. Oh well it was
kind of fun while it lasted.. Thanks Karen


Geoff:
These are phrases which we, in the UK, would use to refer to an area
close but not necessarily the next street. (Another one would be 'in
your neck of the woods').

Following the Birmingham tornado last week, I actually remarked
yesterday to a fellow church member, who is from South
Birmingham, "That's pretty well in your back yard isn't it?" knowing
that he had lived within /a mile or so/ of the affected area.


Valky: 
Yeah I am pretty much aware of that figure of speech, I grew quite
accustomed quite young to my family using "the other day" for last
year, and "just down the road, around the corner" for anywhere you can
walk to within an hour. Even so, I was curious to see if the area of
the Government offices was going to give us any starkly obvious clues
about what Emmeline was up to, and why Snape could claim tht
information from him lead to her death. 


Geoff:
If there had been a real life murder of a member of the public around
the Downing Street area, it could easily have been in St.James' Park,
which many people use in the course of the day.


Valky:
Yeah, but the canon definitely does not suggest that Emeline was going
about the course of her day. Snape specifically says that Bella
*could* suppose that *his information* lead to the death of Emmeline.
Which would almost certainly suggest that she was believed to be doing
something for Dumbledore.. 

But it doesn't matter if there's nothing in it.. theres plenty left to
explore in HBP.. :D