Werewolves? There Wolves!

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 170558


> Mike:
> I read this scene as both Snape and Fudge being all about Black. At 
> this point, Lupin is a side note. Fudge is grateful to Snape 
> for "bringing in" Black. He's had one fiasco tonight with the 
> Hippogriff escaping, but the re-capture of Black will completely wipe 
> out that event. And Snape is at his smarmiest cooing to Fudge, 
> downplaying his role just the right amount to make Fudge offer him an 
> Order of Merlin. Snape's perspective: What a night, Black's about to 
> gets his just desserts at my hand no less and I get an award on top 
> of it all. Lupin who?
> 
> 
> > wynnleaf
> > Later, Sirius told Dumbledore what occurred and he'd surely have
> > included the reason for Peter's escape.  So Dumbledore knew that 
> > Lupin had transformed right in front of the children.
> 
> Mike:
> Well yeah Dumbledore, as usual, has the more complete story. How does 
> that affect Snape or Fudge?
> 
> 
> > wynnleaf
> > Fudge would have known from Snape's story that Lupin was involved in
> > helping Sirius AND that Lupin had not taken his potion and been down
> > there with 3 children.  Fudge, even being a bit dim, could easily
> > figure out that Lupin had put kids at risk to transform in an
> > unprotected state.  No, Fudge probably *didn't* know for sure that
> > Lupin transformed right with the children -- unless Fudge learned 
> > some of Sirius' statement which would include an explanation for how
> > Pettigrew got away.
> 
> Mike:
> I think you've credited Snape with talking much more about Lupin than 
> I do. I also think that Fudge could give a rat's ass about where 
> Lupin fit into the story at this point. And since neither of them 
> know about Pettigrew and his escape, they really don't care why Lupin 
> was nowhere to be found when Snape nabbed the unconscious Black. They 
> understand why Black, Harry and the girl were unconscious - what more 
> is there to understand? 
> 
> And after Black's escape, Snape still doesn't think about Lupin. He's 
> focused on Potter and that he *must* have hand in the escape. Lupin 
> is still not on Snape's nor Fudge's radar. I don't think he ever 
> causes a blip for Fudge, until next year when he can throw it in 
> Dumbledore's face.

Carol responds:
Since Snape has conjured stretchers to get the kids and Black to the
hospital wing and he's about to receive an Orde of Merlin (until
dumbledore spoils it all by taking Lupin off the hook and giving him
more credit than he deserves--he certainly didn't rush out to save the
kids--he rushed out because he saw Pettigrew on the map and realized
that Black must be innocent, at least of that murder), what is Snape
being rewarded for? Bringing Black in, yes, but he didn't knock him
unconscious. The Dementors did that. Surely it's also about saving the
kids. From what? The Dementors *could* come back, of course, but the
chief danger is the werewolf prowling the grounds. And note that while
Harry, Hermione, and Black are unconscious because of the Dementors,
Ron is still near the entrance to the tunnel. Someone has hit him with
a spell that knocked him out. And according to the information
available to Snape, who doesn't know about Pettigrew, that someone has
to be either Black or his werewolf accomplice, Lupin.

I really don't understand why you don't think that the kids were in
actual danger from the transformed werewolf or why Snape, who knew
that Lupin hadn't taken his potion, wouldn't think it was primarily
Lupin that they needed to be saved from or why Fudge wouldn't agree
with them. Snape *could* have simply brought in Black and turned him
in to Fudge and left the kids to wake up on their own, but somehow he
thought that might not be a good idea.

I also don't understand why it would be *all* about Black for Snape.
He thinks that Lupin was in on the  so-called Prank, and Lupin has
just accused him of being unwilling to listen because of a schoolboy
grudge. While this statement is partly true, the "grudge" is for Snape
a murder attempt, Black is still a murderer, and Lupin is the
murderer's werewolf accomplice. When Snape conjures the stretchers,
the "murderer" is no longer a danger. He's unconscious, and Snape
binds and gags him to be extra safe. But the werewolf is nowhere in
sight, and as it's a full-moon night and he hasn't taken his potion,
he must have transformed and be in full werewolf mode (without his
human mind). IOW, he's extremely dangerous, and the kids *cannot* be
safely left on the grounds, conscious or otherwise.

Carol, who thinks that Snape, though wrong about the murderer and his
accomplice, was right that the werewolf was deadly and really did save
their lives