... The Prank

[nkafkafi]

Richard wrote:
> Boy, do I disagree!
> 
> Not because I want there to be more details of The Prank (TM) for any 
> personal curiosity, but because, thematically and plot-wise, it's 
> absolutely necessary.
> 
> At this point in the series, after a lifetime of revering his father's 
> memory, Harry knows he was a jerk. The basis for his reverence was a 
> handful of post-analysis hindsight-enhanced hyperbolic unspecific
stories 
> from people like Hagrid, Dumbledore and others. This was shattered
by an 
> account of his behaviour when he was Harry's age which is not only an 
> eye-witness recollection, but for want of further details of the
Pensieve's 
> functionality, an objective and detailed view of events which took over 
> eight pages to tell. Of course, Harry has been assured that this is
not the 
> memory of his father which he should maintain, that he became a
better person.
> 
> Harry therefore has to witness, in at least the same detail, an act of 
> redemption, in order to restore his faith in his parents. Whether it's 
> Snape's, Dumbledore's, Lupin's or some as yet unknown witness's
memories, 
> Harry has got to relive at least one moment of James being the brave
and 
> honourable person everyone says he became. Seeing as the Prank (TM) has 
> already been introduced to the plot-line, it makes sense for this
event to 
> be the representative act of redemption required. Not doing so would
make 
> JKR an even worse writer than some people maintain she is. (We also
need a 
> detailed account of what happened at Godric's Hollow, but that's a 
> different matter.)
> 
> It would be pointless and counter-productive for JKR to leave the 
> James-Snape relationship in its current state if Harry is to understand 
> what his parents went through (which, given JKR's love of parallels, is 
> only too likely). I'd like this also to be the catalyst for Harry
and Snape 
> to sort out the problems they have with each other, but that,
perhaps, is a 
> little much to ask. :-)
> 
> The fact that there are only two books left is neither here nor
there. I'm 
> sure that after GoF, people would have thought that JKR didn't have the 
> time or space to undermine the way Harry thought about his dad,
either (if 
> they'd known it was going to happen).

Neri:
OK, you convinced me. We might actually get three pages of The Prank
(TM) instead of just one <g>.

And I'm still wondering *how* are we going to get them. James and
Sirius are dead, Lupin apparently only got "a glimpse" while in
wolfsbane-less werewolf mode, Peter is not exactly a reliable source
(assuming he's even accessible, which isn't likely), and can you see
Snape leaving his Pensieve again where Harry might reach it? Or
telling Harry of his own free will how James the hero had saved him?
And starting handing out sweets?

The all-seeing DD maybe? Hmm. I don't think there were any portraits
on the walls of the tunnel. A Pensieve memory from the bumblebee's
eye? But then he'll have to reveal his secret to Harry. Is The Prank
(TM) worth it? 

An unexpected witness? Florence perhaps, peeking from behind the
greenhouses? Still, it's unlikely she was inside the tunnel, so she
had seen even less than Lupin of James' moment of glory.

It seems there are easier ways to redeem James. The GH files might do
it, and how about some details regarding this "thrice defied him"?

Neri