PoA Section Nine: In Which Harry Meets Black

PoA Section Nine: In Which Harry Meets Black

Chapter 17: Cat, Rat and Dog

A newly-discovered and alive Scabbers tries to escape as Crookshanks shows up and gives chase. Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow and encounter the large black dog Harry has been seeing on the grounds. The dog proceeds to drag Ron, with Scabbers in tow, into the Whomping Willow. Crookshanks leads Harry and Hermione down the secret passageway and into the Shrieking Shack, where it is revealed that the large black dog is Sirius Black in Animagus form. A furious Harry attacks him, but is interrupted by the arrival of Professor Lupin. It is discovered that he and Sirius Black are friends--and that he is a werewolf.


Chapter 18: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Lupin explains that Peter Pettigrew, long presumed dead, is alive in the guise of an Animagus form: Scabbers. The story of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs is told when Lupin reveals how Sirius, James Potter, and Peter became Animagi in order to keep him company as a werewolf, and how they came to write the Marauders' Map as they left the protection of the Shrieking Shack to wander the grounds. It is revealed that Snape is in the Shrieking Shack as well, and the reason for his hatred of Harry's father is finally brought to light.


Discussion Questions:

1. Having had the Map for quite a while now, how come Harry (or Fred and George for the matter) never noticed that a 'Peter Pettigrew' was always with Ron?

2. Lupin tells us how Sirius thought it would be "amusing" to trick Snape into an encounter with a dangerous werewolf. What do you think this says about the personality of Sirius Black, and the lengths he will go to harm someone he dislikes?

3. Lupin comes to the conclusion that Sirius and the Potters changed the Secret-Keeper without telling him, which Sirius confirms. Given what we find out about the friendship between the Marauders, what do you think happened that caused Lupin to eventually be excluded from his circle of friends?

1. Having had the Map for quite a while now, how come Harry (or Fred and George for the matter) never noticed that a 'Peter Pettigrew' was always with Ron?

- because they thought that Scabbers(Ron's rat) is not just a simple rat but an animagus which Peter Pettigrew used to trick them which he used as a trap against them.....

2. Lupin tells us how Sirius thought it would be "amusing" to trick Snape into an encounter with a dangerous werewolf. What do you think this says about the personality of Sirius Black, and the lengths he will go to harm someone he dislikes?

- I think Sirius is too strong to face Snape which could cause Snape a very big damage if he encountered him with a dangerous werewolf....

3. Lupin comes to the conclusion that Sirius and the Potters changed the Secret-Keeper without telling him, which Sirius confirms. Given what we find out about the friendship between the Marauders, what do you think happened that caused Lupin to eventually be excluded from his circle of friends?

- I think that time Dumbledore have the trust on the Marauder's and Lupin felt jealousy to them that's why he just worked by himself and broke the rules of Hogwarts

1. Having had the Map for quite a while now, how come Harry (or Fred and George for the matter) never noticed that a 'Peter Pettigrew' was always with Ron?

I dunno about Fred and George, but I think they only use the map for mischief. and just going out of Hogwarts, going to the kitchen. I doubt that they use it for following people, students for the matter. But as for Harry, isn't the time where Scabbers is not around because he is in hiding due to the presence of Crookshanks? Probably the reason why Harry never noticed it.

2. Lupin tells us how Sirius thought it would be "amusing" to trick Snape into an encounter with a dangerous werewolf. What do you think this says about the personality of Sirius Black, and the lengths he will go to harm someone he dislikes?

Sirius must have been really a prankster kind of guy. He is sort of like Bart Simpson. If I'm not mistaken, they were like 15 or 16. Teenage guys of that age are really into pranks and almost all, haven't matured yet. As for the length of his hatred to Snape, I think it sort of just they don't click. Being a school bully and Snape an unpopular person, I doubt that there is something wrong with that for him. I mean, in reality who would think of having his best enemy being tackled by a werewolf? But this is a magical world, I think that this is just a medium-type of evil plan. Also, I generally think that he still don't know the extent of werewolf's danger to humans.

3. Lupin comes to the conclusion that Sirius and the Potters changed the Secret-Keeper without telling him, which Sirius confirms. Given what we find out about the friendship between the Marauders, what do you think happened that caused Lupin to eventually be excluded from his circle of friends?

I think that he became sick during those times, like he's near to transforming. And we do know that it hurts. If we are gong to base to the time of deaths of Harry's parents, perhaps, Lupin is really nearly transforming. Possibly, Sirius and James didn't bother since Lupin still has a problem of his own, being a werewolf.

Good questions, Jacq!

^I agree with Lianne and xirtalleb. And yeah, why would the twins spy on their brother Ron when they have the entire Hogwarts to keep an eye on? And didn't they mention at one point that they've practically memorized the map (for secret passageways specifically and not for people watching) early on (they nicked it during their first year in school) so it's quite possible that by the time Ron got to Hogwarts, the twins were already mischief experts who didn't have to regularly rely on the map. Not only that, the map shows only the school grounds so the twins wouldn't have any chance on keeping an eye out for their brother outside of school. So even at home, they'd still be blind as Homer when it comes to the true nature of the rat.

And oh, mitchie08, I don't understand your answer to #1. Care to expound further?