[HPforGrownups] Snape: ropes from his hands

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 57823

I have seen a few people in a few unrelated posts talk about how Snape shot
ropes out of his hands in the Shrieking Shack scene.  I don't understand
where this is coming from.  Here is the scene according to my copy of PoA
(US hardcover).

p. 357:  Snape pulls off the cloak and points his wand at Lupin.

p. 358:  Snape goes on for a bit, with other people trying to interject.
Snape kees the wand "pointing directly at Lupin's chest."

p. 359:  They talk for a tiny bit more, then...BANG!  Thin, snakelike cords
burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's
mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to
move.  With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed
his wand straight between Black's eyes.

Ok, at this point, we have had the wand pointed at Lupin, the rope come out
of the wand to bind Lupin, and the wand pointed at Sirius.  Moving onward.

p. 360: After some talking...A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand,
which was still pointed at Black's face.

p. 360:  "Come on, all of you," he said.  He clicked his fingers, and the
ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands.  "I'll drag the
werewolf."

Up to this point, he had not been holding the end of the rope at all.  He
had his wand pointing at Sirius with one hand, the other hand empty.  He
then clicks his fingers to make the ends go to his spare hand.

p. 362:  Lupin was struggling against his bonds.  Black bent down quickly
and untied him.  Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had
cut into them.

The only bit of wandless magic I see Snape do here is summon the rope ends
to his hands.  I don't see this as anything more extravagant than anything
else that has been done without a wand.  Harry, an untrained wizard, could
make his hair grow at will and apparate for short distances.  Dumbledore can
clear a room of its current furniture and summon sleeping bags for the
entire school.  I don't see anything that exciting about making rope ends
jump from the floor up a short distance to an outstretched hand.  I don't
get the impression from the text that the rope originated from his hands or
were controlled by them in particular.  If this is wrong in some way, please
correct me.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova/