Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing Severus Snape, the Prisoner of Azkaban, and the Marauders. More specifically,
we’re going to be taking a look at a scene in the Prisoner of Azkaban where Severus Snape,
who had not encountered any of the Marauders for many many years, encounters the Marauder’s
Map. What’s so curious about Snape’s encounter with the map, however, is that he didn’t
seem to recognize it.
It all starts one night with Harry scouring the Hogwarts corridors trying to find Peter
Pettigrew. However, not long in to his manhunt, Harry’s plan is thwarted when Snape appears.
Of course from here it doesn’t take long for Snape, who knows that Harry is up to no
good, to snatch the map; attempting to reveal its contents:
"Let me see, let me see…" he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on
his desk. "Reveal your secret!" he said, touching the wand to the parchment.
To this, however, the map simply insults Snape. Eventually Lupin is brought in to the mix,
and Snape still doesn’t seem to understand what the map is.
"Lupin!" Snape called into the fire. "I want a word!"
Utterly bewildered, Harry stared at the fire. A large shape had appeared in it, revolving
very fast. Seconds later, Professor Lupin was clambering out of the fireplace, brushing
ash off his shabby robes.
"You called, Severus?" said Lupin mildly.
"I certainly did," said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. "I
have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."
Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin's face.
"Well?" said Snape.
Given that, by this point, Snape had seen the nicknames of the four boys that used to
torment him- it should be safe to assume that Snape would know what the map was. However,
Snape continues to question Lupin about What exactly the map is. Did Snape not recognize
the code names?
Lupin continued to stare at the map. Harry had the impression that Lupin was doing some
very quick thinking.
"Well?" said Snape again. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed
to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"
Lupin looked up and, by the merest half-glance in Harry's direction, warned him not to interrupt.
"Full of Dark Magic?" he repeated mildly. "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks
to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish,
but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop —"
"Indeed?" said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. "You think a joke shop could supply
him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the
manufacturers?"
Harry didn't understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.
"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" he said. "Harry, do you know any
of these men?"
"No," said Harry quickly.
"You see, Severus?" said Lupin, turning back to Snape. "It looks like a Zonko product to
me —"
Here’s what I think. Snape knew that it was an object that belonged to the Marauders-
and he knew who to trace it to. He knew that Lupin was involved with this map in someway-
this is why he says:
“You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"
HOWEVER- that certainly doesn’t mean that Snape would know what the map actually was.
The map was wiped clean before Snape got to it, and it was effectively designed to repel
people like Snape. As smart as Snape was, this was an object that he knew very little
about.
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Until next time
YER A WIZARD ARRY