Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 20: The Dementor's kiss

[willsonteam]

No: HPFGUIDX 190798


> Potioncat, earlier
> > > 7.While it's fresh, can you reconstruct what Snape saw when he came to? How does it compare to what he may have overheard earlier in the Shrieking Shack?

Pippin:
snip
> There wouldn't be anything to convince Snape that either Sirius or Lupin had friendly intentions towards the Trio. Ron was on the path to the castle, but he's been attacked, and despite Sirius's stated willingness to be taken to the castle, clearly Hermione, Harry and Sirius were moving away from it when the dementors found them. Nor would it be like Harry and Hermione to abandon their friend unless they'd been compelled. 


Potioncat now:
Several listies have aswered this question in similar ways. I wonder if anyone sees the events differently?

Here's my view of what Snape would have heard in the Shrieking Shack.

In chapter 18, just as Lupin  start to tell the story about the Marauders, there is a loud creek and the door opens. Many of us think that is the point that Snape appeared. What he wouldn't have heard is the reunion between Black and Lupin; that Black and Lupin each thought the other was the traitor; that Peter was actually alive and is Ron's rat; and that Black wants to kill Peter, not Harry. Snape came because he saw Lupin on the map, and wouldn't have known Harry was involved until he found the Invisibility Cloak at the Whomping Willow. He wouldn't have known about Ron and Hermione until he reached the doorway.

 He does hear that Lupin's friends knew he was a werewolf and starting in year 5 had joined him each month as Animagi. Lupin doesn't say what forms they took--while the Trio now know Black is a dog, and Pettigrew is a rat, Snape doesn't. Lupin says that Snape had been trying to convince DD that Lupin isn't trustworthy and he was right about him all along, because he hasn't told DD that Black was an Animagus. Then the story turns to Snape and he steps in.

>From his point of view, he is facing a killer and a werewolf and has to protect three students. Two of the students are defending the very men who are threatening them.  While he's trying to keep the situation under control, all three students attack him.

I'm piecing these two scenes together in preparation for the scenes in the next chapter--Snape's discussion with Fudge and his award winning hissy fit in the hospital wing. It looks to me that while Harry and the readers learn quite a bit about Black--Snape doesn't--nor does he have any reason to change his opinions about Black and Lupin. 

Thoughts?