[HPforGrownups] Accidental injuries & protectors

[Delenne]

No: HPFGUIDX 33416

Dicentra wrote in response:

> >   From a wizard's point of view broken bones are a minor 
> > inconvenience...in which case Harry's only ever been
hurt by 
> > accident, falling off his broom or being de-boned
unintentionally.
> > 
> That makes me wonder about the time when Quirrell was
trying to knock
> Harry off his broom.  If Dumbledore is Harry's ultimate
protector, how
> is it that Snape was the one uttering the countercurse? Or
if falling
> off a broom is no big deal, why was Snape protecting him
at all?

To the first question, I'd answer "delegation".  If
Dumbledore wants to keep Harry largely in the dark at this
point, it mightn't do for him to be noticed by anyone while
muttering a counter-curse.  OTOH, and more plausibly, if
Snape didn't feel he owed anything to James' son, maybe
Dumbledor set him the task of protecting Harry as a slightly
ironic form of payment for his deeds while working for
Voldemort.

As for falling off the broom, Harry might have been beyond
help to fall off at that height.  If broken bones are no big
deal, death from a broken neck or severe concussion might
very well be what Quirrel was aiming for.

Since this is my first post from lurkdom, please criticise
gently.

Delenne
aka An Unexpected Caller
aka Shari Thornton
mailto:scrapbook at holmes.net