Dragons, Produced and Tickled, and Other Pleasantries

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "severelysigune" <severelysigune at y...> wrote:
>
> The thing that keeps puzzling me is that Snape, who still bears 
> schoolboy grudges at the age of nearly forty, must at some point have 
> found it in himself to get over the fact that Dumbledore did not act 
> seriously against the Marauders and even swore him to secrecy about 
> the presence of a werewolf at Hogwarts. I'd like to know what made 
> him do that, in view of his super-sensitivity to anything that 
> relates to himself.
> 

Yes, a lot of fans have tried to get to grips with Shrieking Shack Part 1.
Snape's phrasing is very interesting, reminding DD that a deliberate 
attempt was made on his life, i.e. murder - and DD does not dispute
this. In fact his response is merely that "My memory is as good as it 
ever was, Severus."

This could have multiples of meaning:
a) No, I haven't forgotten that they did try to kill you,
b) No, I haven't forgotten that you believe they tried to kill you,
or, and this one is a bit twistier
c) No, I haven't forgotten what happened, nor that there was no
punishment meted out, nor that you agreed not to stir up
trouble, nor that I owe you big time because of it.  

Any 'pact' between DD and Sevvy could have its origins with this incident.
It's clear that Sevvy is a prideful and vengeful man, he's nursed this
grudge - verging on vendetta - against James and Sirius for years.
But he doesn't include DD. That's an anomaly, given his character.
If Snape had chosen to kick up a stink, DD may well have lost his job,
the Marauders expelled and Sevvy feted for exposing a major scandal.
There was no potion to alleviate the effects of lycanthropy available
at that time and parents of pupils would have gone bananas at the 
danger posed to their little darlings of a werewolf strolling round Hogwarts.
 
Threats to Student!Snape would be facile compared to the damage he 
could cause by just opening his mouth. The fact that he continued to 
keep his mouth shut even as an adult (and a DE!) is even more remarkable.
Somehow, an accommodation has been reached.

Many fans have wondered why DD trusted Snape. To my mind reversing
the question is more intriguing - Why would Snape trust DD?
The information available and past experience would predicate that Snape 
can't and shouldn't. Yet he does.

Another oddity - when Snape 'comes back to us' he goes not to the
Aurors or Barty to strike a deal but to DD and the Order, which numbers 
amongst its membership the two people he hates most. Must be powerful 
motivation for him to do that. Just what links DD and Snape? Whatever it 
started as it's seemingly developed into mutual respect.

I really hope that these lacunae don't stem from poor plot drafting; that
there are 'real' reasons for this unlikely alliance.
Wouldn't that be fun?

Kneasy