Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 19: The Servant of Lord Voldemort

[Joey Smiley]

No: HPFGUIDX 190630

> 2. "You fool. Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting innocent man back in prison?" Discuss.

> Nikkalmati

> This is not likely to convince Snape. Lupin is insulting him and belittling what happened to Snape years ago. Lupin is getting out some of his suppressed animosity toward Snape. However, he also sees that his attempt to reason with Snape has been unsuccessful. He is afraid for Sirius because if Snape turns him in there will be no way to prevent him from going to Azkaban. Snape, by the way, has no way of knowing Sirius is "innocent." Even if Snape listened I doubt he would believe what Lupin said.

Joey:

Hmm, interesting. I read it slightly differently [especially after reading the way Sirius & Lupin responded to Harry when he spoke to them about SWM in OoTP]. I think Lupin really thought that Snape should not let his past with Sirius skew his actions and that he should rather consider the mistake in throwing an innocent man in Azkaban. While I certainly agree that Lupin doesn't see how deep and painful the hurt has been for Snape, I think he is right in saying a grudge should not drive one commit a sin. I think he mentioned the word "schoolboy" to indicate that all people involved [Snape, Sirius, James, Lupin] were immature at that point.

 
> 3. "But you, Peter -- I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start." So, discuss why you think Sirius (and James and Lily) did not see this.

> Nikkalmati

> I think they had so little regard for Peter that they could not think of him acting independently. We also have seen that Peter has even as a youngster a fawning way about him. McGonnagal mentioned how Peter followed James and Sirius around. He was seen as a devoted nitwit. Peter must have resented they way he was treated as a hanger-on, but his "friends" never saw it, because they never really saw Peter or tried to understand him. Sirius is wiser now and can see that he should have seen through the obsequious behavior.

Joey:

Agreed. But yet I can't see why they [especially James & Sirius] even bothered to *include* Peter in their group in the first place! Was James' tendency to enjoy adulation the reason? Or was it because they felt an urge to "protect" "weak" Peter? Maybe Sirius had similar questions in his mind too when he made this statement.