Once you pointed it out it is one of the things I check. It is interesting. I hope the pattern holds. Until now I have lumped them together. I cannot even remember which one dies.

Well, he calls him "The Dark Lord", but I doubt he is Evil. I think he just disapproves of Dumbledore's hippy ways.

Good point. There must be a reason why she is in Ravenclaw. She does fill the "eccentric professor" mould quite well. I don't remember whether we ever find out what she ends up doing as an adult. I hope it is academic.

At least you stayed with the books.

Ah, good point. I saw that he had sent his sweater back and assumed they had told him that his father was in the hospital.

Yes. Perhaps he is trying to suppress it so that he will not ruin friendship &c, &c? A position well known from oh so many American tv shows.

I disagree. It is not "no good reason". We get one scene taken out of context. From what Lupin (I think? Or is it Sirius? Possibly both) says later, it seems like they were reacting negatively to the Dark Arts, which I think is justifiable. And Snape was not friendless and alone. He travelled with the older crowd of Slytherin no-goods. You cannot use that scene as a basis for judgement on Sirius' character as a whole.

I think the reason why I find this particular moment of Snape cruelty worse is that he is kicking someone who is down, and there is no good that could possibly come of it. Sirius has not done anything wrong in being confined like he does, in fact he is following the orders of their commander. At least when Snape taunts the children you can almost read into it disappointment that they do not work harder, do better at his favourite subject. I know, I know. It is a flimsy reason, but I think it springs from my original hypothesis (when I read the books the first few times ... before book 7) that Snape's cruelty is not a sign of Evil, but a backhanded attempt at helping the good side. Keep in mind, this theory was formed before book 5, and was not really put aside until book 7. I had convinced myself that the reason why he lets Draco get away with nothing is because he has no interest in seeing him learn.

Secret Keeper thing? I don't remember this.