Snape Lovers beware

[Hagrid]

No: HPFGUIDX 155814

aussie:
IMO, Snape witnessed enough to know Peter Pettigrew was Scabbers, 
the rat, in the Shrieking Shack. 

Since POA, we learnt more things about Snape that makes this more 
likely. He is a spy that survived a very long time. He knows how to 
be quiet and listen when needed. He is spying on his long term 
rivals, Black and Lupin. So why did an experienced spy with an 
excellent chance here to get long hidden secrets speak up as early 
as he did?

SNAPE'S MOTIVE
Peter must know something about Snape 
 and Snape knows it. Snape 
had to keep Peter quiet. It would have to be DE related. 

For some time, I've believed Snape recruited Pettigrew to the DE. 
That would have been some time before James and Lily died. Of 
course, there could have been something else that had happened since 
then.

After all, Snape would still have to explain how come Black went to 
Azkaban if Snape knew Pettigrew was a DE. Also the question comes up 
if Snape recognised Scabbers when he was Percy's pet. How long had 
Snape hidden DE facts?

THE EVIDENCE
Read POA Chapters 17 - 19 from Snape's point of view. What did he 
hear? What did he see? 

Canon recap: HOW SNAPE GOT THERE
We know Snape saw Lupin on the Map go through the tunnel under the 
Whomping Willow. He said he was in Lupins office to help with the 
Wolfsbane Potion when he saw the map on the desk. That is the way 
Lupin would go as a student when a full moon was coming. Snape may 
have assumed Lupin needed the potion to control himself.

Lupin saw Peter go through the tunnel with Black, but Harry and 
Hermione were slowed down by the Whomping Willlow. Then they were 
cautious when they entered the Shack. That delay helped Lupin come 
before they hurt Black. There was a lot of shouting and accusing, 
especially after finding out Lupin was a werewolf. This delay helped 
Snape enter the Shack.

Now back to snape's experience. Snape found Harry's invisibility 
cloak near the tunnel entrance. Now he knows students are in there, 
so he wants to enter cautiously but quickly to save them from a 
werewolf if need be. Snape sneaks into the Shrieking Shack under the 
invisibility cloak.

WHAT THINGS SNAPE SAW / HEARD
Noise travelled pretty  well inside the shack. Harry and Hermoine 
heard creaking floor boards from up stairs and when they go 
upstairs, they could hear the Crookshanks purring. When Lupin 
arrived, the trio heard muffled footsteps downstairs and called to 
Lupin.

So what did Snape hear before the door creaked open? He crept up the 
stairs, since no-one heard footsteps like Lupins.

Snape may have been downstairs when Ron shouted, "HE'S NOT PETER, 
HE'S SCABBERS!"
Also, while Snape was outside the door, Hermione said, "Scabbers 
can't be Pettigrew ... Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list (of 
animagi)."

Inside the room, (the door in the room creaks open as our signal 
when Snape under the invisibility cloak turns up) Snape would see 
Black sitting on the edge of the bed with Ron holding his pet rat. 
Harry was in another part of the room (where he later could move to 
block Snape leaving the door). The trio looked at Lupin as he spoke, 
but Black was "watching Scabbers every desperate move." 

Lupin was telling the trio background known fully only by the 
Maunderers. He said, "Three great friends ... became animagi" "Peter 
was the smallest" "Peter is Wormtail"

If Snape didn't know the rat's name, the squeaking and wrestling in 
Ron's grasp would have made it obvious. Scabbers was making more 
noise than Ron. Snape could not look at the bed and not notice the 
rat.

Unless Snape already knew what was going to be said, he should have 
shown the patience of a spy and gathered more information. If Ron 
could wait with a broken leg, what prompted Snape to interrupt?

AFTER SNAPE TAKES CLOAK OFF
After Snape pulls the cloak off, 3 people try to point out the Rat. 
- "(Sirius) is innocent" // Lupin is roped; 
- "But if there was a mistake" // Hermione is threatened with 
expulsion;
- "bring the rat up to the castle" // Black is threatened with the 
Dementor's Kiss.

Snape had the opportunity and ability to realise Scabbers the Rat 
was Peter Pettigrew, the wizard Black was meant to have killed 12 
years before. So why didn't he want that information to be proven? 

Like Lupin, the embarrassing facts may not have been important for 
DD or the OOTP to know from Snape's biased opinion. The only one 
effected, that he could see, was Sirius Black.

Peggy and Carol have written about that time recently. I noticed 
from their posts that at no time before Snape starts to move for the 
door does Snape offer any wolfsbane potion to Lupin or even suggests 
that he has any with him.

Aussie, hoping I haven't made too many enemies