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

[innerbrat]

I'm answering them in notepad, so sorry if someone gets there first.

1)
The Dementors feed on positive thoughts. Sirius had two advantages: a) the fact that he's innocent isn't a positive thought, and they couldn't take it, so he retained his sanity. b) he is an animagus, and Dementors are less sensitive to dog emotions, so he could spend time as a dog when being human was too much. He also could slip past them in dog form, both at Azkaban and at Hogwarts.

2)
At this point in the book, we know Black's innocent, but not that Scabbers is Pettigrew, IIRC.
I never looked at it in a legilimens way, but Sanpe just doesn't care whether Sirius is guilty or not: he hates him that much ("Snape's worse memory" is NOTHING compared to what Sirius did to Snape the next year, which we find out in Prisoner). I certainly don't think there's anything between Snape and Pettigrew

[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

[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?

[strange_complex]

To answer the first question (and this is revealed in the book, I *think* so apologies if it's spoiling anything for you!)

Don't worry: I'm actually not at all bothered by spoilers, hence me being quite happy to read loads of web-sites about what happens in books 4 and 5. Your explanation of how Sirius survived Azkaban, and managed to escape, chimes well with innerbrat's explanation, above, so I presume that means you're both right!

In book one, I would say that Snape probably already distrusts Quirrell before the incident with the mountain troll, since otherwise, why would he think to run straight to the place where the Stone is being guarded, rather than to the dungeons like everyone else? I think he does this because he suspects that Quirrell will appear there as soon as his diversion has got rid of everyone else. I also don't see how Snape could read from Hermione's mind that Quirrell had let the troll into the castle, since she doesn't know this herself, does she?

In the second book... Snape may realise that nobody else would believe

[strange_complex]

Oh, right, on both! Yes, I think we are on the same page after all about both of these! ;)

[ekatemba]

Snape looked back at him for a moment and then said contemptuously, 'Surely even you could have worked that out by now, Potter? The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency --'

'What's that? Sir?'It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind

[strange_complex]

Hmm, I know I still have more to read about this, but from the position I'm in, I'm still not convinced Snape can't do some basic probing without the incantation. I see the incantation as opening up a subject's mind entirely to unfettered exploration (unless the subject knows Occlumency), but lower-level testing of truths and lies as possible to those who have a basic natural ability in legilimency (see my response to innerbrat, above, for an example).

Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort can definitely do this, after all, and we also know that Snape is skilled enough at Occlumency to use it without Voldemort knowing he is (otherwise, how could he survive as a spy?). So it doesn't seem too much of a leap to me to at least suspect that Snape can similarly apply at least a degree of legilimency undetected, too.