student!Snape keeping Lupin's secret (was Re: Sirius as a dog)

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 181121

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>> Um, no I am not a subscriber to Sirius trying to kill him 
definitely 
> not. In fact, I was a subscriber of Sirius being a reckless idiot 
> for the longest time, but I have no problem believing that Sirius 
> who played with werewolf every month lost the adequate  evaluation 
> of the danger. But now all that I am subscribing to is that Sirius 
> talked too much. I thought maybe we will learn that Sirius FORCED 
> Snape somehow to go to the tunnel, maybe he would told him that 
Lily 
> was there or something. Nothing to the effect - Sirius just told 
> Snape how to pass through that door. Should he have done so? No. 
But 
> besides that, nobody forced Snape to go to that tunnel as far as 
we 
> know.

Leah: No, I would agree that Snape was not forced to go down the 
tunnel, but I never subscribed to the idea that he might have been 
forced.  Lupin in POA says that Sirius thought it would be 'amusing' 
to tell Snape how to get through the Willow. which suggests more 
than a casual comment, snd IMO implies that Sirius meant Snape to 
follow through on this idea, and get the shock of his life (at 
least) when he met WereLupin.  Which is either reckless idiocy or 
criminal negligence depending on your evaluation of Sirius' mental 
state.  It doesn't explain why Snape would go down the tunnel, or 
why (since we're agreed he's not a fool) he would trust the 
suggestion of someone who's been tormenting him for several years. 
Lupin said that Snape had seen him with Madam Pomfrey, so perhaps 
Snape thought she would have restrained Lupin in some way prior to 
transformation (as Snape binds Lupin with ropes in the Shrieking 
Shack).  Without more information, it's hard to tell- perhaps we 
have just fallen into a plot hole.  I just get the strong impression 
from all we see of Snape's subsequent behaviour that he was 
genuinely shocked and terrified to see WereLupin.  


 
> 
 
>   
> >Leah: 
> <SNIP> 
> >It may be also (though 
> > this is pure assumption) that Snape is checking for any 
reactions 
> to 
> > the potion.  In any event, Lupin does not object.      
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I thought he enjoyed having a power over Lupin and of course in 
> front of Harry Lupin would not object IMO.

Leah: Lupin could have asked for a word outside.

> > Leah: But why would Snape keep his word to Dumbledore during 
> Snape's 
> > Death Eater period, when Dumbledore has no power over him, other 
> > than that Snape believes in keeping his word?
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Oh, even though I believe that Snape's life was defined by his 
> grudge and his love for Lily, even I do not think that he was 
> thinking about Lupin 24/7. His DE ONLY period was pretty short, 
> wasn't it? Couple years at most, maybe a bit more than that if he 
> was recruited at school?

Yes, it must have been short. But knowledge is power, as they say, 
and if Snape is ambitious, any useful information he can pass on, 
will further his ambition.  Since Dumbledore is Voldyenemy No. 1 and 
Hogwarts one of Voldemort's prime targets, news of Lupin's 
lycanthropy could prove quite useful. Letting it be known  to 
parents that Dumbledore had admitted a werewolf child to the school, 
and that a child had nearly been killed as a result, is not going to 
increase Dumbledore's popularity especially if further enquiry 
revealed that the werewolf and his friends had wandered the school 
grounds and Hogsmeade, having a few 'near misses'.  So if Snape 
didn't tell, one has to assume it is because he believed in keeping 
his word.  He certainly didn't owe Dumbledore or the Marauders 
anything at that stage.   


> 
> But as I said, even such Snape's hater as I am, I am forced to 
give 
> him a credit for saving Lupin at the end. And that is defying 
> Dumbledore nothing less.
> 
> I believe it shows to me that at the end he finally let his grudge 
> go in favor of saving people, whether he believed those people 
> wronged him or not. But to me the whole point of that lovely 
moment 
> is to show growth on Snape's behalf, not that he was like this all 
> the time of his life. Again IMO, I am not asking anybody to agree 
> with me and know that many people view Snape's whole life in much 
> noble view than I do  :)
> 
Leah

I agree it shows growth - he is saving Lupin as a human being 
despite the past.  I don't think Snape would always have been this 
noble, but I would always say he was a better person than the 
Marauders- know you won't agree there :)

Leah