Thoughts about 'The Prisoner of Azkaban'

[strange_complex]

I have now rewatched all three of the Harry Potter films. I can highly recommend the DVDs, especially for the numerous cut scenes included on each. Although you do generally have to leap through rather tedious hoops in order to get to see them, especially on the DVD of the first film where they are the reward you get for solving various puzzles.

Comments

[strange_complex]

On Sirius, the Dementors and his ability to change into a dog, thanks. That definitely isn't explained in the film, but I'm glad to hear it's covered in the book.

"Snape's worse memory" is NOTHING compared to what Sirius did to Snape the next year, which we find out in Prisoner

On this, yes. I do know about the whole werewolf trick thingy, and James Potter saving Snape's life and so on. This is part of why I'm quite prepared to believe that Snape is happy to persist in trying to get Sirius put back into Azkaban, even if he does actually know perfectly well that Sirius is innocent.

I certainly don't think there's anything between Snape and Pettigrew...

No, you're right, it doesn't seem that likely. But I do know that I need to find out more about Snape's real loyalties and motivations to understand the full meaning of his actions in this scene: always assuming that I am right about him detecting Sirius' innocence, and it isn't simply that he is misguided.

BUT... legilimens is quite a complex and forceful spell. It requires an incantation, and from Harry's experience in Order, it's pretty violent.

Yup, I've gathered this too, mainly from reading this. Yet there are quite a few scenes in the books where Snape does nonetheless seem to be able to get at a fuller version of the truth than might be expected if he wasn't using legilimency, despite the fact that he doesn't seem to speak any incantation. I'm wondering if a fairly basic version of legilimency can be practised by Snape without any incantation: enough to detect basic truths and lies, anyway. There are various instances on the page I linked to above which support this, such as:

"Snape's eyes were boring into Harry's. It was exactly like trying to stare down a hippogriff. Harry tried not to blink... 'Malfoy is not having hallucinations...if your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you.'" (PA14)

[innerbrat]

It appears notification emails aren't quite up to speed yet.

There non-incantation form of legilimens is probably a less-effective way. He can get some ideas, but not pictures. He never found out about the Polyjuice Potion is book 2, for instance, and had to threaten Harry with veritaserum.

[strange_complex]

He can get some ideas, but not pictures.

That's about what I was suspecting. Enough to detect Sirius' innocence, do you think?

[innerbrat]

I hope not. I hope he's just petty enough to convince himself his enemy is guilty without trying to find out the truth.
I don't want Snape to be the man who knows Sirius is innocent and wants him Kissed anyway. That's just too evil for me.

[strange_complex]

Yeah, I know what you mean: it's pretty heavy stuff if he does know. I'm torn about whether I like the idea that he is that fundamentally unpleasant, or whether it goes too far to be consistent with his other actions.