My own take on the Prank

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 152657

> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> I'm inclined to agree, too many people are injecting their own
> negative preceptions into this incident. First and foremost, we don't
> know exactly what happened and we don't know for a fact that no one
> was punished...
 all Sirius did was pass some information on to
> Snape. Snape, himself, was in complete control of what he did with
> that information. 

Finwitch:

Great post. And so like Snape to blame Sirius for 'attempt of murder' 
over what was really his own foolishness.

I certainly like the idea of Sirius *warning* Snape about going there! 
If his exact words were to the effect of "too dangerous for you" - you 
bet 16-year-old Severus Snape would think "What? I know more curses 
than Black and Potter put together, and it would be too risky for 
*me?!?!*" And go there.

Oh, and as said, we don't know no one was punished, but:

1) Potter *saved* SS' life, and I doubt there was any evidence he ever 
broke the rule about going there otherwise. (DD never did find out 
their Animagi business until the adult Sirius told him). I very much 
doubt that either DD or MM would punish Potter for saving a student... 
more likely he was rewarded (Head Boy acc. Hagrid)

2)If indeed Sirius said he was only *warning* Snape about going there, 
what precisely punishable is there about it? There is no Hogwarts rule 
about warning students against breaking rules, is there? Even that 
could be rewarded (by 10 points or something)!

3)Snape got a good scare, but *he* didn't have any good reason behind 
his actions, so -- DD might have considered the scare (and Snape's 
embarrasment for owing lifedebt to James Potter) as punishment enough, 
but I don't know how Slughorn saw matters here. (Snape ignoring Sirius' 
warning, breaking rules etc. for nothing)

---

The warning certainly is not like Malfoy issuing a challenge for a duel 
and then not show up&report to teacher, is it?

Finwitch