[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's part in death of Sirius

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 107979


--- nkafkafi <nkafkafi at yahoo.com> wrote:

>Looking at this again, I don't think JKR has any holes in her 
>timeline. In fact, the more I read the canon, the more I am
>convinced her timing is carefully planned. I would not be surprised 
>if she actually looked at the same sunrise/sundown table I cited 
>above. While not actually naming the hours, she gives us quite 
>enough consistent detail to convict our poor Severus with nearly 
>criminal negligence. I know, she's generally not very good with 
>numbers and times, but I think in this case it is not she who is at 
>fault. It's Snape.


You know, following this debate has reminded me why I unsubscribed a
few years ago.  There's just so many hours in a day to read the same
posts over and over again.

I'm not convinced by Neri's arguments or by the assertion that JKR
did such a detailed timeline.  There are lots of sloppy details in
the series that show that JKR could do a better job of tightening
things up or at least get a sterner editor.

FWIW, I think there might have been more hours between Snape leaving
the Umbridge's office and contacting Sirius and his second contacting
of the Order members than others have assumed.  From Snape's POV,
he's called to Umbridge's office and asked for veritaserum.  He
administers a slapdown, gets put on probation, Potter shouts his
weird statement, Snape responds, leaves and checks on Sirius.  Sirius
is at GP.  Okay.  So no one's in any danger.  Snape goes back to
grading papers or essays or whatever.

What's happening back in Umbridge's office - from Snape's POV?  Well,
Umbridge has got the DA in trouble but all they've got to do is keep
their mouths shut and what's she going to do?  Hand out detentions
all around and let them go back to their dorms.  Maybe disband the
Gryffindor Quidditch team.  Write another 18-page report to Fudge. 
New restrictions to be announced the next day: No talking to
Gryffindors or some such nonsense.  In other words, business as
usual.

There's really no reason for Snape to assume that something different
was going to happen that night or that Harry was going to try to get
to London.  After all, Umbridge caught him using the fireplace floo
as a telephone, not a portal(this is one of my favourite dumb!Harry
moments in OOTP: he's desperate to GET to London but when he's in
front of Umbridge's fireplace and can floo there he just uses it like
a telephone.  Amazing!).  Harry was checking on SIrius, not trying to
get there.  Yes, he'll have a few bad hours until he can be assured
that Sirius is safe but tough, that's life.  Maybe now he'll
appreciate that he should have studied occlumency harder.  Snape
starts composing a little speech in his head on that subject the next
time he decides he's speaking to Harry.

So a few hours go by and then a bedraggled Draco comes pounding along
the corridor to report what happened.  Snape listens, stone-faced,
alternately exasperated with Gryffindor stupidity and Slytherin
gullibility, then hears about the trip into the Forest.  Cause for
concern?  Definitely, on the other hand Umbridge has a wand and she's
an adult.  Surely she wouldn't just keep walking into the forest
following a foolish girl?  He'll give it some time and wait for them
to come back.  

Okay, there's STILL no reason to assume that Harry and Co. have gone
to London.  Surely they wouldn't be THAT reckless and foolish?  But
perhaps Potter is insisting on talking to Sirius face to face. 
Perhaps they've succeeded in shaking off Umbridge and are making
their way to Hogsmeade to use an unsupervised floo in the village. 
But that means they're more likely to be wandering around lost in the
woods.  Better go out and find the little twits.  To be on the safe
side, contact the Order and let them know what might be happening in
the MoM.  He does and off the Order goes to the rescue.

So I really believe that Snape thought the biggest danger Harry was
in was from something in the forest.  That's why he took so long to
make the second call.  He didn't know Harry was trying to GET to
London rather than just CALL there.

Magda




		
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