Lupin is Ever So Evil, Part One -- The Prank (LONG)

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 130194


Pippin Snipped:

Imagine yourself in sixteen year old Lupin's shoes for a moment.
For almost as long as you can remember, you have suffered
with a horrible disease that subjects you to an excruciatingly
painful transformation which turns you into a beast. You will
howl and scream for hours as you claw and bite your own flesh.
Your one respite from this condition, the only thing that you've
ever found that could make it bearable, is about to be taken
away from you by a geeky little oddball.

There's no help for you...your friends think it is a big joke and
have been coming up with ridiculous scenarios all month to
evade Snape's vigilance and keep up the visits to Hogsmeade.

Snow:

Yes, it is always best if you can visualize a given situation from 
someone else's viewpoint and place yourself in their shoes to get the 
best overall portrayal. This sounds very similar to the Pencieve 
where thoughts are examined from each individual's point of view that 
you are interested in. (Example: When Harry was seated next to 
Dumbledore and Moody in the Pencieve, he saw the courtroom view from 
their perspective
however, if Harry had been sitting next to Rita 
Skeeter, Harry would have been enlightened by her own views and 
comments.) 

I created, some time ago, the following scenario, that doesn't seem 
to be too far off from your own, attempting to use this same type of 
formula; looking at the picture from each person's viewpoint. I 
nicknamed this little scenario The Prank and the Pencieve:

The Marauders, at least James and Sirius, appear to be portrayed as 
very caring and protective of their small group of friends; 
especially the handicapped Lupin. James and Sirius, not as much Peter 
who was not in it for friendship but protection, were capable of 
various sorts of actions to look out for their challenged friend as 
well as the little dweeb they underestimated
even to the point of 
becoming unregistered animagus. James and Sirius went to great 
lengths ["it took the best part of three years to work out how to do 
it" POA pg.354] to become animagi and to include the chubby little 
wannabe ["Peter needed all the help he could get from James and 
Sirius" POA pg. 354] all for the sake of Lupin's well being. Oh what 
nights they had, especially during the full moon. No one was the 
wiser of where the gang went or what any of them could become. They 
were unstoppable
until
Snape took to spying on them. [" Sneaking 
around, trying to find out what we were up to
hoping he could get us 
expelled
" POA pg. 356] Snape could ruin all their fun if he exposed 
Lupin to be a werewolf. Something had to be done about this. It was 
becoming increasingly clear that the Marauders good old days were 
numbered. 

Fast forward to the Pencieve scene by the lake, which was the very 
end of the Marauder's fifth year having just taken their OWL exams. 
The Marauders had only just managed their transformations in their 
fifth year. [" Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They 
could each turn into a different animal at will" POA pg. 354]

Snape's spying/stalking behavior was evidenced when he followed the 
Marauders down by the lake in the Pencieve memory. Snape followed the 
Marauders hoping to find out about their dirty dealings as to get 
them expelled. Snape did not seat himself in normal earshot range 
from the Marauders but if Snape had any extraordinary powers that may 
be lent him due to the old Vampire/Snape suspicions, let's say 
impeccable hearing, then this would be close enough to listen in. 
(Or, for those who don't like the Vampire/Snape theory, could Snape 
have possibly had a pair of Fred and George's extendable ears) Snape 
wouldn't have to be extremely close to catch a conversation or even a 
set-up conversation: {Imagine Sirius in a fake discussion with 
Wormtail} you know all you have to do to get that Willow to stay 
still is prod the knot on the tree with a long stick, but we both 
know what you'll find if you do. (After all if Snape wants to spy you 
may as well feed him useful information that would benefit yourself)

I personally see young Lupin sitting on the bank-side staring at his 
book, all the while engrossed in the confrontation that ensued 
between Sirius, James and Snape, knowing that he had recently 
informed (whined to) the Gang that Snape was coming very near the 
truth about his werewolf transformations and that it would severely 
impede their time and outings together every month if Snape were to 
make public who and what he had become. Sirius, after all the efforts 
he and his colleagues had made to become animagi for Lupin's 
protection and all the fun that they had had on their outings to make 
Lupin feel "normal", felt extremely annoyed by greasy Snape's 
interference to put an end to all their hard efforts. Try as they may 
the Marauders jinxing and humiliation did not deter Snape from his 
quest. So, Sirius thought of a better way to deal with Snape's 
interference.

I don't think that Lupin knew what Sirius had up his sleeve in 
resolving the problem with Snape but Lupin must have felt 
appreciative over the many attempts his friends made on his behalf to 
stop Snape from his harassing behavior as is viewed by Lupin's 
neglect at intervening when they attacked Snape at the lake. 

Sirius took it upon `himself' to ensure that Snape would stop his 
spying behavior, via the prank setup. Snape would surely stop this 
ridiculous behavior, and the Marauders could once again enjoy their 
monthly escapades, if Snape was sufficiently frightened, he would 
discontinue his antics. 

Now, at some point in time, very near Snape's entry to the Willow, 
James had been enlightened by Sirius, in-between his bark like 
laughing fits, of his newfound resolution to the problem with their 
monthly outings. James, not being as desperate as Sirius to ensure 
the outings to the point of endangering someone's life, took it 
upon `himself' to do the right thing (very much like his son) and 
saved `the enemy' (think Dudley or better yet Pettigrew). James 
didn't hesitate to proceed to the Willow possibly realizing the 
repercussions for Lupin if the deed would have been done.  

Lupin may have felt some rejection to James life saving pursuit, and 
very much offended that James would think more of Snape than of 
himself and their time together. Lupin may have seen this as a 
rejection of their friendship on James' part
after all Sirius was up 
for it in Lupin's mind. Lupin wouldn't have cared, or thought, of the 
consequences himself, about the prank, anymore than Sirius as to what 
may have happened if the werewolf would have gotten the best of 
Snape. Lupin said that his friends becoming animagus were "
the best 
times of my life" (POA pg. 354) 
 and he didn't want to give that up

did he? 
And Snape wasn't going to stop the best time of Lupin's life

if his friends had any say in it. Trouble was one of his friends 
didn't back him up and ruined a good plan to stop Snape, which would 
have allowed Lupin's glory days (or rather nights) to continue. 

This incident could have caused quite a rift between the old gang. I 
can imagine both Lupin and Sirius being a bit upset at James response 
in saving old Sevey, at least at first. James would have informed 
them of the downside of the prank's proposed resolution to Snape's 
spying afterwards. No matter how you look at it though, after the 
prank, the Marauder's monthly outings would have come to a complete 
halt because Snape did know at this point what Lupin became each 
month and it would have been very easy for Snape to be on top of his 
spying game. Of course Snape was forbidden by Dumbledore to reveal 
Lupin's secret but it would not have stopped him from following the 
Marauders each night at the full moon. 

All good things must come to an end
and so it did. 

Usual disclaimer, JMO

Snow