[HPforGrownups] ootp, Snape questions, and crucio question

[Diana Williams]

No: HPFGUIDX 63612

From: "xpectopatronum" <xpectopatronum at yahoo.com.au>
> Anyway, the two things that I don't really understand are:
> 1) if Snape knew so much about the Dark Arts when he first arrived at
> Hogwarts, how come he couldn't defend himself better from their attack
> in the fifth year? I'd really like to hear everyone's thoughts on this.


There are a couple possible answers:  1) Snape was really wrapped up in the
OWLS and not prepared for the attack, so they caught him flat-footed, and/or
2) Sirius is the one who says that Snape knew more curses as a First Year.
We already know that Sirius has a less-than-loving opinion of Snape, so he
could be exaggerating.

BTW - does anyone find it odd how Sirius goes on and on about Snape's
knowledge of curses and Death Eater background when the Black Tapestry and
house tell us that *Black* actually has the background that he's onto Snape
about.  You can't tell me that Black didn't have a not-quite-normal
knowledge of curses and the Dark Arts, given his parents' attitudes and his
family background.  Plus his family tree is bursting with Death Eaters and
Voldemort sympathizers, so I imagine that conversations around the Black
Dinner table were equally supportive of Voldemort.  (It somewhat explains
why the Ministry was so quick to believe that he was the one who betrayed
the Potters and killed the muggled (and Pettigrew) - given his Dark family
background, one would expect him to be a Voldemort sympathizer.)  His
vehement dislike of Snape appears to be part of Sirius' rejection of his
family - Snape is a Slytherin and possibly comes from a similar Dark
background, so Sirius' attacks on him are a continuation of his rejection of
his family and may not have much to do with who Snape is as a person (or
whether he *is* into Dark Arts or knows a lot of curses).  Possibly Sirius
sees Snape as a reflection of what the Black family would like *Sirius* to
be like, and that's why he is so vicious towards him.

Diana W.