Lupin is Ever So Evil/Explaning Danger to Harry/Prank

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 130134

SSSusan:
<SNIP>
You see that scene as Lupin hiding BEHIND Neville in order to 
embarrass Snape.  I see it as Lupin helping Neville STEP UP to take 
on Snape and return a bit of the humiliation Snape's forced him to 
take over the years.  While I think Lupin has some concerns where 
cowardice is involved, this scene never struck me as cowardly at all.

Pippin:
<snip>
So, I don't think helping Neville cope with his fear of Snape was 
Lupin's priority. It was about embarrassing Snape, and that wasn't
likely to help Neville -- indeed it didn't, for we  soon learn that
Snape was bullying Neville worse than ever.


Alla:

No secret that I am 100% in agreement with Susan, but I want to 
elaborate a little bit more.

Yes, I am positive that Lupin's goal was to help Neville, BUT I 
don't see the goal of such help as changing Snape's attitude.

I don't think that anybody but Snape could do that and I am not very 
optimistic about it. I think that lupin's goal was to change 
Neville's attitude for the best, even if for the short period of 
time.
I think he achieves such goal spectacularly.

Neville laughes at the subject of his worst fear for the first time. 
Have you EVER seen Neville laughing at Snape again?

"Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking 
determined.
"Riddikulus!" he shouted,and they had a split second's view of Snape 
in his lacy dress before Neville let outa great "Ha!" of laughter,a 
nd the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke 
and was gone" - PoA, paperback, p.138.

I hope he can achieve doing it on more permanent  basis in HBP. :-)

> Eloise:
<SNIP>
> As Alla pointed out, it is Snape's vulnerability to the suggestion 
> that he should follow Lupin that leads him to fall for the trick. 
> Sirius exploits that weakness, which IMHO makes what he did 
*worse*, 
> not better.


Alla:

Sorry, Eloise I don't remember saying that. In any event even if you 
understood my remark as such, it does not define my position 
clearly. :-)

IMO, we don't know whether Snape was vulnerable to such 
suggestion    and whether Sirius exploited it or not and even if he 
did for the reasons unknown to me, I am with Steve, if Snape was not 
Imperio!d or was not told something like there is a message to him 
from Lily or something like that, I think he bears part of blame.

But again, this is not the gist of my argument.

Alla wrote earlier:
Nope, Harry was not RIGHT not to trust Snape, but he was justified 
in not trusting Snape, IMO. Snape gave him no reasons to trust him 
during these five years.
 
Remember ? "Mr. Potter, our new celebrity"
<SNIP>
 
Amanda:
Remember Snape breaking Quirrell's curse to save Harry, and 
refereeing the Quidditch game afterward to prevent something 
similar, both of which Harry was told about? [and neither of which 
he ever acknowledged in any way to Snape, by the way.]


Alla:

OK, I snipped your great post, which I almost entirely disagree 
with, but today must have been a day of me being exceptionally 
unclear. :-)

In  the post which you replied to. I said that Yes, I remember 
PS/SS, but Snape made a considerable effort to make Harry forget 
about it, IMO. :-)

Besides, yes, indeed Snape did a good deed, but IMO he did exactly 
what ANY teacher of Hogwarts is supposed to do.

I mean, thanks G-d that he is able to remember to do his job at 
least when Harry is about to get killed.

One more thing, Dumbledore also saved Harry's life in PoA when he 
was falling down from the sky after dementor's attack.

Do you think that this action also needs special acknowledgement? 

Just my opinion,

Alla.