Snape in the Shrieking Shack (Was: Are appearances important to Snape?)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 142300

> colebiancardi:

> I just wanted to ask one thing - Dementors aren't particular about
> whom they kiss, so it would seem to me that Snape would be taking a
> pretty big chance to give Sirius to the Dementors alone, without
> anyone else around to *control* the dementors.  We have read that 
DD
> has warned the students not to try to leave the school grounds,
> stating that "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand
> pleading or excuses." p 92 Am Ed Hardback.  Also, when Harry asks
> Lupin why the dementors affect him so much, Lupin explains "The
> dementors affects you worse than the others because there are 
horrors
> in your past that the others don't have". p. 187   And on page 188,
> Lupin states that the dementors are hungry, because DD won't let 
them
> into the school
> 
> So, knowing that dementors are picky and can feed on anyone, 
innocent
> or not, and they are hungry, and I am sure Snape has seen some 
horrors
> back in his DE days, why would Snape take the risk to try to feed
> Sirius to the dementor all by his lonesone?  

a_svirn:
And yet there are ways to deal with them. Otherwise how could the 
Ministry employ them at all? More than one way apparently, 
considering that Snape and Harry disagreed on the subject in HBP. I 
am pretty sure that Snape, being as he is such a Dark Arts expert, 
would know just how to handle them. Don't forget the context of the 
quote you give: Dumbledore addresses himself to his *students* most 
of whom had never even tried to conjure a Patronus. Fudge for one 
feels himself quite confident dealing with them without a single 
Auror at hand. And in GoF a Dementor that de-souled Barty was pretty 
particular: 

"The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, 
pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it *swooped down on Crouch* 
and - and -" (emphasis mine – a_svirn). 

Interestingly enough, the excuses that Fudge conjured for his 
behavior sound very much like Snape's dismissal of the Trio's 
testimony:

"Why he killed them?  Well, that's no mystery, is it?"  blustered 
Fudge.  "He was a raving lunatic!"

Compare with Snape's: 

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them...."

Looks like Fudge learned from the master. Or from the Potions 
Master. 

<snip> 
 
> colebiancardi
> (and those 5 pages do not translate into one hour of acting.  It is
> all dialogue - try reading it outloud - 10 minutes tops)
>

a_svirn:

All right, it's not an hour. Maybe just a quarter of an hour (come 
on, be generous). What difference does it make? It still means that 
he stood there and listened to their fond memories, simultaneously 
discovering their animagi secret.