The Prank in DH (was Re: Predictions for the End (what I think, hope and know)

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 167288

I am curious as to why so many believe almost conclusively that the 
Shrieking Shack Prank will be further detailed in Book 7.

Here's (as far as I know) the only quote indicating we might learn 
more:

<<Kyla: What made Sirius decide to send Snape to the Willow?
<<JK Rowling replies -> Because Sirius loathed Snape (and the 
feeling was entirely mutual). You'll find out more about this in due 
course.

JKR could mean we'll learn more about why Sirius sent Snape to the 
Willow, or she could mean we'll learn more about why Sirius loathed 
Snape.  I don't see it as definite that she'll tell us more about 
the Prank.

However, supposing we are to learn more...

Here's some thoughts on the Prank.

We have really no conclusive evidence that James didn't know about 
the Prank prior to Sirius carrying it out.  What we do know, from 
Filch's detention records in HBP, is that James and Sirius seemed to 
consistently work together in their pranks, therefore it is 
perfectly understandable that Snape would assume James knew.  And in 
fact, it is more probable that James knew, simply because he and 
Sirius usually did pranks together.

Further, we know that Dumbledore did not know the full situation 
regarding the Marauders, their involvment with Lupin!werewolf, or 
their familiarity with the Shrieking Shack, the Willow, etc.  If he 
had known how completely comfortable the Marauders were with the 
entire set-up, going down there monthly; if he had known that James 
and Sirius were animagi that regularly "ran with" the werewolf and 
for whom the werewolf held little threat in their animagus forms, he 
might have been more likely to question whether or not James really 
knew about the prank or not.  After all, why *shouldn't* Sirius have 
included James in the prank from the beginning?  They usually did 
pranks together, after all.  

As for any evidence given by Lupin, well, we know that Lupin (for 
good or ill) has had a history of being deceptive, and oftentimes 
his deceptions are solely for his own benefit, to maintain the 
goodwill of others.  Therefore we have every reason to assume that 
if Lupin knew anything about the Prank which was to his own 
detriment, he would conceal it if possible.

I agree that Sirius probably didn't intend Snape to die.  But if not 
die, what *did* he intend?  There's no way Snape would only get a 
good scare if he actually ran upon the werewolf.  

As regards why Snape went to the Willow, this is interesting.  Snape 
had actually seen Lupin going *with* Pomfrey.  So he knew that 
Lupin's monthly absences were school sanctioned.  If he knew they 
were school sanctioned, why would he expect that following Lupin 
would lead to the Marauders getting expelled?

I have wondered if in fact Snape did overhear the Marauders who, 
during the pensieve scene of Snapes Worst Memory, were not 
particularly circumspect in discussing their monthly forays.  
Perhaps Snape guessed that there was more going on than just 
whatever school-sanctioned activity was happened when Pomfrey took 
Lupin away.  Perhaps he guessed that somehow, the Marauders got up 
to something with Lupin later?  If that was the case, he would have 
been entirely correct and also correct that their activities 
deserved expulsion.

The way the Prank incident is related by Lupin, it always sounds 
like Snape half-deserved it because he was following them around 
looking for a way to get them expelled.  That makes Snape look bad.  
Bad Snape, trying to get those nice Marauder fellows, who were 
really sweet boys, expelled.  But in fact, the Marauders were 
engaged in a monthly activity that put the whole countryside in 
peril -- for which, yes, they probably *did* deserve expulsion.

We can speculate a lot about whatever supposedly bad things Snape 
was up to during school.  But canon doesn't actually tell us about 
*any* of them, with the exception of what we choose to believe out 
of the extremely biased views of Sirius (who *always* speaks of 
Snape in biased terms -- complete with some sort of name calling), 
or Lupin whose deceptive tendencies (for good and ill) are canon.

We have canon support for Sirius and James misbehavior, through 
McGonagall's comments, a pensieve scene memory in which Lily's 
comments make it seem like their bullying is not a one-time event, 
and most especially Filch's files in which there are lots of files 
on the Maruaders, but we have no mention that Harry ever ran across 
a detention record for Snape.

Last, we have an interesting comment by Sirius in POA, when speaking 
of Peter following Voldemort.  Sirius said that Peter had to "be 
quite sure he [Voldemort] was the biggest bully in the playground" 
before going to him.  But if that was truly Peter's predisposition, 
then isn't it interesting that he followed James and Sirius for so 
many years?

So was the prank the reason Snape turned to Voldemort?  Of course it 
wasn't the only reason.  But could it have been the "straw that 
broke the camel's back?"  Perhaps.  It appears so far in canon that 
the Marauders bullied Snape for years.  If that's the case, and no 
teachers stepped in to stop it, and then the Prank occurred and if 
James *was* involved, yet was still made Head Boy later, I could see 
how such events could drive a person to completely despise the 
established Wizarding World system that would appear (to an 
adolescent perhaps) to reward a bully and excuse a would-be murderer 
simply because they were popular and part of the supposedly "good 
guys" in Gryffindor.

I'm not saying it's a valid reason for going over to Voldemort.  
There are no valid reasons.  But suppose you've got a kid who's got 
alot of abilities and feels completely unappreciated (rightly or 
wrongly).  And then the adolescent feels like the "good guys" will 
accept any kind of bad behavior, including Snape being bullied and 
almost murdered, as long as it's one of their own that does it.  And 
then this powerful wizard starts offering a place where the 
adolescent will be appreciated and will gain power (to a kid who may 
have felt lacking in power against bullies and a school which 
accepted and excused the bullies -- in Snape's eyes).  I could see 
such an adolescent being drawn with that kind of persuasion.  

After all, why do so many terrorist organizations recruit the 
young?  They are impressionable and their insecurities, emotions, 
and motivations can be manipulated. 

Snape didn't have to have any interest in the "pureblood ethic" of 
Voldemort in order to join.  All he might have needed is a desire to 
be accepted, appreciated, and to be a powerful Dark wizard who could 
no longer be pushed around.

Of course, he might have found out quite differently after actually 
joining up, but with Voldemort, it's too late by then.

wynnleaf