The GUT of HP (was Excusing Snape of any responsibility )

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 168253


> Julie:
> I think answering the Snape questions will lead to the GUT (Grand 
> Unifying Theory) of Harry Potter, which will pull all the various
> clues and plotlines together. What caused the enmity between
> Snape and the Marauders, the big thing we don't know about Lily,
> whatever relationship might have been between Snape and Lily,
> who Snape might have loved or been loved by, who else was at 
> Godric's Hollow and why, why DD had James's Invisibility Cloak,
> why DD trusts Snape..maybe even how Hagrid is involved, where
> Lupin was between his school years and his year as the DADA 
> professor, and some other plot points that don't necessarily 
> appear related. 
>  
> I have this feeling that if we could identify that one
> important element we're missing, then all the pieces would 
> fall in place. I could be wrong of course, and maybe the 
> solution won't be as elegant and all-encompassing as I am
> assuming. But I think it will be, and this is why JKR has 
> had so much fun dropping clues and reading all our desperate
> --and disparate--theories. It's *one* answer that explains
> (almost) everything, and she knows we won't guess that answer.
>  
> I'd be happy to read any GUT ideas out there! 
>  
wynnleaf
I couldn't agree more!  That's what I was getting at when I said 
that I think the backstory of the Marauders up through and maybe 
immediately following the Potter's deaths is absolutely integral to 
the story.  It's not just some color for the background -- it's 
likely the reasons for why so much of Harry's story was put in 
motion in the first place, as well as explaining Snape, Dumbledore, 
and the living Marauders actions in the HP series.  Sure, this is 
Harry's story.  But a lot of Harry's story involves reacting to the 
other players and their actions.  Harry thinks he knows all he needs 
to about their motivations and actions, but obviously JKR is keeping 
a lot hidden, so Harry clearly doesn't know everything.

Yes, there's some Grand Unifying Story.  It would really be sort of 
messy to have just lots of odds and ends background "facts" to 
explain the odds and ends mysteries about Snape, the Marauders, 
Petunia, Lily and the rest.  Much better to have a unifying story 
that's been kept hidden, that answers most of the backstory 
mysteries and adult character motivation mysteries.

I've got a theory or two, but I really hope that my theories 
*aren't* close to what JKR has in mind.  What I hope is that the 
unifying story is not something too easily guessed or too 
melodramtic.  I'm really hoping that aspects of it will be quite 
surprising, even to those of us who have envisioned or read scores 
and scores of theories.

It would be fun, however, to read a few theories of the Grand 
Unifying Theory.  Not to be picked apart for "why it wouldn't fit 
canon," but just to see if some of us can come up with theories that 
really pull things together and answer most of the backstory 
mysteries.


wynnleaf