Wolfsbane Dosing (was: Neville/Wolfsbane/Fluffy/Filk/Snape/Time Travel)

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 169492

>
> Neri:
> > In that case you can reasonably imagine both Lupin and Snape, under
> > the stress of the unexpected events, losing track and forgetting that
> > tonight is the night.
> 
> Pippin:
> I don't think so. 
> Lupin shouldn't forget because he is keeping his lycanthropy a secret
> from the kids. He wouldn't want to unexpectedly transform in public.

Neri:
But he knows he won't transform in public, because about two weeks
previously he checked the lunar chart (he must have, to know when he
has to start taking the potion) and found that full moon this month
will occur late at night. So this month keeping track isn't critical
as long as he's alone in his office during nights (and I'm assuming
that generally he *would* keep track, only not when friends who died
12 years ago drop for a visit). Had he found two weeks ago that his
transformation this month occurs during the day he'd remember it, if
only because something would have to be done about his classes that
day. BTW, the Halloween day case fits this well: we see Lupin taking
his potion during the day, and several days later he misses his class.
At the Shrieking Shack night he was supposed to take the potion at
night, and the transformation occurs during the night. 


> Pippin:
> Snape shouldn't forget because potion brewing is affected by moon
> cycles.   If Snape knew that Lupin's transformation was going to 
> occur when it did, then then he knew there was  plenty of time for 
> Lupin to get back to the castle and take his dose if they left at once.
>

Neri:
This whole discussion started because Mike pointed out that Snape's
behavior in the Shack seems rather strange if he knows a violent
transformation is coming, and I have to agree. And there isn't plenty
of time – there's most likely less than an hour, Snape has only tied
the werewolf with rope, and he isn't even consulting his watch. He
also doesn't say to Harry "you'd better shut up and move because this
is a full moon night and your dear friend here is turning into a rabid
monster in several minutes" although this would certainly give him an
edge in the argument.
 

> Pippin:
> IMO, Snape had to brew an entire cauldronfull because there had to be
> some for Lupin to steal and take secretly before he went out
> to the Shrieking Shack<veg>.

Neri:
Ah yes, the poor schemes of ESE!Lupin <g>. The best plan he could come
up with was to appear as if he forgot to take his potion so he'd lose
his job. I still don't get why wouldn't he simply leave Snape a note
that he had taken his potion tonight, so Snape wouldn't bother him
while he's going to, erm
 commit whatever heinous crime he has in mind
at that particular moment (I can never keep track with ESE!Lupin's
objectives, they seem to change by the hour). 

> houyhnhnm:
> 
> I'd go with Magpie's interpretation.  All Snape actually 
> says is "You should drink that directly, Lupin."  As in 
> "before you forget, Lupin."  What people are reading in 
> to it is the idea that Lupin needs to drink it before it 
> loses its effectiveness.  
> 
> Lupin is being dismissive.  "Very good, Jeeves, just 
> leave it on the chiffonier and then you may go."  Snape 
> is subtly reminding him that he, Lupin, is the one with 
> the secret, which Snape is keeping--for the time being.
>

Neri:
The potion losing its effectiveness quickly isn't required at all for
my original argument (that Lupin has to take his potion several times
during the week before the full moon, and therefore both Lupin and
Snape in the Shack don't remember that this is a full moon night). But
I'd point out that Lupin *does* take the potion directly. He takes it
immediately after Snape leaves, and moreover in front of Harry. 


> houyhnhnm:
> That still doesn't answer the question of why missing 
> one dose on the night of the full moon would allow Lupin 
> to transform into a vicious as opposed to a tame werewolf 
> if he had been taking it the week before, as he says he 
> needs to.

Neri:
The simplest answer (and the one best fitting with canon) would be
that he has to take it daily during the week preceding full moon, and
if he misses even one day the potion doesn't work. Sounds pretty
reasonable pharmacologically as well as magically. I'd assume you need
to keep the aconite level in the blood high enough throughout the
sensitive period in order to prevent some process from being triggered. 


Neri