[HPforGrownups] Snapes' Whereabouts, Scar musings

[porphyria at mindspring.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 36545

Ronald Rae Yu wrote:
<Where was Snape the night Quirrell was trying to steal the stone? Isn't it he knows somebody (Quirrell) is trying to steal it? Why was he not as protective of the stone as the trio? Does he really want Voldemort to have the stone, after all, pretending that he's trying to stop Quirrell so that nobody (including Quirrell) will suspect him?>

Boggles replied:

<Given that he can't get past Fluffy, as previously demonstrated, there's little he can do after both Quirrell and the Trio have gotten past that point.  Assuming that Quirrell got away from him in the hallways, perhaps he was the one who tipped off Dumbledore that their trap was sprung . . >
 
I have a slightly different take on this. The way that Dumbledore had set up the Mirror of Erised protection, Quirrell *couldn't* have gotten the stone out by himself. Ironically, he needed Harry's help. 

So I'm wondering if maybe after Snape got bitten by Fluffy Dumbledore pulled him aside and said something to the effect of 'look, this isn't worth your getting injured over; the Mirror will keep Quirrell from getting the stone. You should just relax, and if you insist, focus on protecting Harry.' And on the night that Quirrell went after the stone, it's not clear if Snape suspected the Trio of taking action. If anyone should have suspected them it was McGonagall because she was the one whom they begged to let them see the Headmaster to warn him.

I do agree with the others who have remarked that it seemed like Dumbledore allowed Harry to encounter Quirrell as some sort of practice. If that was his plan, then I have no idea how he managed to keep Snape from interfering (since Snape doesn't share Dumbledore's fondness for letting Harry endanger himself). But maybe he did somehow, maybe he told him to back off.

And speaking of Snape and Quirrell, Finwitch wrote, on the subject of scars: 

<Also - There were Snape and Quirrell and that Voldemort-head, when Harry had his first experience of a hurting scar. No mention of it when in Quirrell's presence in the Leaky Cauldron. First time is Snape AND Quirrell. Snape is *looking* at Harry when the scar hurts first time! I think it took both for a chance. Later, it took one of them - Harry's scar hurt in Potion's exam...

There is, I think, a lot more about Harry's scar... Maybe it'll now burn around Death-Eaters, too? Poor Harry, he won't be able to take potions without getting a head-ache...>
 
And Ali replied:

<But I've got a different understanding of why Harry's scar first hurt. I thought that it didn't hurt when he first met Quirrell at Diagon Alley because Voldemort had not yet possessed Quirrell (he possessed him after the failed raid on the bank). In the Sorting hat scene, I thought that Quirrell had turned away from Harry so that the turban (and therefore Voldemort) could get a good look at Harry. Thus it was when Voldemort looked at Harry that he experienced pain. It had nothing to do with the hateful look that Snape was giving him. Though of course none of this became clear until later.>

Me:

I think Ali it totally right on this one; Quirrell didn't even have the turban on in Diagon alley, so no Voldemort/no burning scar. Personally, I think the fact that Snape *was* looking right at Harry when his scar burned that night was what tipped off Snape that Quirrell was suspicious. Quirrell stated in no uncertain terms that Snape suspected him before the Halloween/Troll incident. So, why? Probably because Snape is familiar with a scar that burns due to Voldemort, and when he looks at Harry he puts two and two together. 

The fact that Harry's scar hurt him once in Potions class doesn't do much to implicate Snape; Harry's scar also burns him in Divination class, plus lots of other times in GoF; I feel it's safe to say it has more to do with Voldemort that former DE's. Also, Harry's scar never burned him in CoS when he met Lucius Malfoy, and you know LM's got the mother of all Dark Marks. 

However, I did notice on a recent rereading of GoF that when Voldemort summons the DE's in the graveyard scene that Harry's scar does burn him just as V. touches Wormtail's scar to do the summoning. So I am wondering if Harry will continue to feel his scar sting every time in the future when the DE's are summoned. Which could be sort of helpful for Dumbledore; although Snape can serve the same purpose. 

If any newbies are really interested, I did muse for several paragraphs on Harry and Snape's scars in post #35386 (it's right smack in the middle of the post). Basically I talked about how each scar is a conduit of power between LV and the bearer, and how the Pensieve scene seems to foreshadow future plot developments between Harry and Snape due to their similar afflictions. It would be amusing if these two characters could actually cooperate for once in seeing what they can determine about the nature/function of their scars and if they can discover any liabilities the scar could have for Voldemort For instance, maybe they could determine his location based on whose scar was hurting when...well, something like that. You get the idea. 

I'm still musing Amanda's suggestion that the DE's scars could link their lives to LV's, but I haven't come up with any new ideas for the rebuttals I got. Stay tuned, I'm still thinking...

~~Porphyria



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .