Marauders, Azkaban, and you

[mollyringle]

Finished re-reading Prisoner of Azkaban, and I have a few questions for those of you who have spent more time thinking about this book than I have:

1) Isn't it a tiny bit early for Lupin to embrace Sirius as if they were brothers? Okay, Lupin does ask first whether Sirius "switched" (the secret-keeper deal), and he did see Pettigrew seemingly alive and well on the Marauder's Map. But up till that moment, he supposedly believed Sirius guilty just like everyone else did, and he hasn't actually seen Pettigrew transform back into himself yet. So wouldn't he suspect that Sirius and Pettigrew were still tricking him somehow--or both on the Dark Side, but feuding with each other--and demand a rather more in-depth explanation before hugging him? Still, the hug is such a great surprise moment, I hate to deprive them of it.

2) For that matter, why doesn't Sirius go to Lupin earlier on and tell him the truth? Or at least leave him a note advising him to take a good look at Ron's rat? If Sirius is sneaking in and out of Hogwarts, he could manage it (or have Crookshanks deliver the note).

3) If Harry sees his super-awesome scene-saving Patronus by the lake the first time around, then why don't the other changes he and Hermione bring about with the time-turner also happen the first time around? Why doesn't Buckbeak get saved? (Or do we know for sure he is actually executed the first time? Hmm.) Etc. Time travel never makes sense, and drives me crazy, which is why I don't write it, though it is fun to read or watch.

4) Anything you think I should mention in the condensed parody version? Now's your time to be fun and silly and potentially get your name in the credits. Meanwhile, Happy Halloween!

Comments

[naill-renfro.livejournal.com]

1. True, he's rushing things a bit, but his heart has waited thirteen years for this moment.

2. So many problems, not just in the Potterverse but in all fiction, could be avoided if the characters would just communicate. Thank goodness that never happens in real life.

3. I thought Buckbeak was never actually executed in the first place. In the movie this is hinted at quite a bit more strongly - but not canon, I know.

4. I'm sure this has already been said a thousand times in other Potter-mockery, but on the off chance it hasn't, "Where wolf? There wolf!"

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

4. WHY IN GOD'S NAME IS BASICALLY THE MOST POWERFUL DEVICE WE SEE IN ALL THE BOOKS USED ESSENTIALLY FOR TIMETABLING?????

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

1. Yeah, I wondered if perhaps he just knew it in his heart all along, and saw it in Sirius' eyes, etc., and now I'm sounding like a romance writer. :)

4. Hah! Oh, I would've kicked myself if I'd missed the Young Frankenstein opportunity, given how I grew up on that movie (and Blazing Saddles). And I actually hadn't thought of it yet. Whew. Thanks! Hmm, we can even add "There castle!", since Hogwarts is one, and all.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, good point! Will have to say something about that. Surely that little device could've fixed a few tragedies along the way, if messing with the space-time continuum is all right for Hermione's academic performance. (Sorry, Cedric, I guess you weren't worth it.)

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

1. Lupin actually ripped Sirius' clothes off and they made mad passionate love while Harry, Ron and Hermonie were on the other side of the room like O.O

Then Snape busts in and says, "I knew they were married."

But J.K. Rowling's editor said the readers were to young for that just yet and made her change it to just a hug.

2. See the above reasoning. Sirius knew they would never leave Remus' chambers again so he concentrated on Harry.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2MABdg8E0k

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

"Brothers" my eye. ;) Even taking the 'shipping out of it, I still feel like Remus probably spent a long time really hoping that one of his best friends didn't kill the other 3, and that it didn't take much proof for him to be fully on board with this idea of Sirius's innocence.

Re: time travel, it's my opinion that nothing actually did change, that the Trio heard the axe chop the pumpkin or whatever and, not bearing to look, simply assumed it was Buckbeak's head. Or, they created an alternate timeline and there's a world where Buckbeak died, where Sirius was Kissed, and where things ended up going worse on from there. ...and now I want to read that fic!

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

I like your inside knowledge muchly. *grins*

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

I only speak the slasher's truth :P

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it didn't change - the first time through they only heard the thunk and didn't look to see whether Buckbeak had actually been killed. If you track the whole thing very closely, you'll see that everything they "change" the second time through actually wasn't a change. Harry and Hermione thought they were adjusting the time-line, but they were just doing the things that had already happened, really. ;)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Awesome video! Jeez, why do I even try? :)

I admit the possibilities of Sirius sneaking into Lupin's chambers did occur to me. Somehow I think slashers may have already written of this.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

*nods* Remus likely did think all along that it couldn't possibly be true, or at least sure hoped not. I assume Azkaban doesn't allow visitors (except Fudge and the like), or Remus might've come in and seen him, and cleared everything up by now. Again with the communication issue.

And likely right about Buckbeak. I'll pay more attention when re-reading (again) for the actual parody writing! :)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Ah good. I'm glad other writers can make better sense of time travel than I can. It still seems like *too* powerful a device (in that it raises the question of why it isn't used for other equally important problems), but at least it's somewhat consistent within this book.

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

I found it quite amusing :P

You know if you don't write about it directly you have to hint at it.