Re: Rowling’s Debunk of the Marauders - Murder by Wolf

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 172932

--- "Lisa" <sassymomofthree at ...> wrote:
> 
> Lisa:
> 
> I've never understood anyone's sentimentality toward
> Sirius. If anyone deserved Snape's (and anyone else's)
> contempt, it was Sirius.  ...  But what did he do, 
> when faced presented with the opportunity to harm 
> someone he found annoying?  He attempted murder-
> by-Lupin.  ....

bboyminn:

Sorry, but I have never been able to understand this 
point of view. Though I do not wish to offend, I have
always found this a somewhat hysterical reaction by 
over-enthusiastic fans. 

First, werewolves don't usually kill. They bite but
they don't kill. Though I will admit that the 'trapped
animal' aspect of Snape cornering Lupin in the 
Shrieking Shack come pretty close to the 'kill'
scenario. 

Second, Snape is not some poor defenseless waif. He
is armed-and-dangerous. Snape has his wand and he 
knows how to use it. He is a talented wizard well 
versed in the Dark Arts. If I'm afraid for anyone, it's
Lupin. I think he was in far more danger than Snape,
and I think Lupin has far more reason to be angry than
Snape does. 

Once again, I point out that Snape went into the 
tunnel, and by extension, into the Shack of his own
volition. He chose to go there against school rules
and against the implied wishes of the Headmaster, and
had to overcome clear and obvious safeguards in the
process.  Into a situation he couldn't possibly think
was not dangerous. 

Next, we don't know what Sirius told Snape. While I
have absolutely no way of knowing what Sirius said, 
I do know the nature of kids. It is possible that
Sirius told Snape NOT to go to the tree and NOT to 
prod the knot, and to NOT enter the tunnel, because
if he did, he would meet his death. 

Of course, he would say it this way because he would 
know it would goad Snape even more. In a sense, telling
him not to go while telling him how to go, is like 
issuing a challenge. I dare you to go. 

If Snape was the innocent victim that people would 
like to paint him as, he would have been snug in his
bed, not wandering around in a clearly forbidden area
after hours. I mean, if you intentionally put your 
foot in a bear trap, you can hardly complain when it
snaps shut. 

I'm sure Sirius intended to scare the pants off Snape, 
and make a fool of him. But I don't think he intended
to kill him. However, Sirius was shortsighted enough
that he never thought how this would affect Lupin in 
the worst case scenario. If Lupin wasn't kiled or 
injured, there was a high degree of probability that
he would have had to injure someone (Snape) in order 
to protect himself.

I don't think James rushed in to protect Snape, I think
he stopped Snape in order to protect Lupin. Any 
protection Snape received was secondary to James' intent.

I do agree that Sirius is very deserving of Snape's 
contempt. But I refuse to see Snape as an innocent 
victim. He is a very very guilty victim. If he was
innocent, like I said, he would have spend that night
snug in his bed minding his own business. 

I think Sirius was impulsive and short-sighted as 
many many 15 year olds are, and yes, very arrogant too.

I think James was acting more to protect Lupin than
Snape. The Life Debt from Snape was just an added 
bonus. 

I'm not absolving Sirius of his actions. He did a
stupid and dangerous thing. But I am not absolving
Snape either. He carries a huge portion of the blame
for this incident, and I refuse to see him as an
innocent victim of anything. Snape made a choice, 
and nearly paid dearly for that choice.

Just my very strong opinion, which I posted many times
before.

Steve/bboyminn