Snape outing Harry as Parselmouth (was Re: If DD knows, then why..?)

[ghinghapuss]

No: HPFGUIDX 94179

>I don't know who wrote this:
> As for the 2nd year serpensortia thing, I seem to agree with you. 
>It is akin to conjuring, something that 5th years haven't 
> reached. It was also a live animal (a vertebrate no less). I think 
>it may have been a slight flint, because I doubt Malfoy is that 
>skilled, esspecially when it doesnt seem as though he had practiced 
>the spell thoroughly before he used it.

> Susan:
> Oh, I'm not so sure he'd never practiced that spell before. ;-)  
> Remember how comfy Draco was on a broom?  I suspect that he & Daddy 
>spent a good bit of time in Draco's pre-Hogwarts life working on all 
>sorts of magic--especially dark spells.  <snip>

> Sue
> Just wanted to add one little tid bit here.  Malfoy was the head of 
> Muggle torture for Voldemort the first time.  He truly gets a kick 
> out of it.  What a "fun little game" to play with his young 
> son..."Narcissa, we're off to the park to set snakes on the 
>Muggles!  See you in a few hours."  I bet Draco's known that one for 
>a looong  time.
 

mandy here:
Charming thought, Sue! ;-) And welcome back Susan. 

Our Draco is a far more powerful wizard then most of us give him 
credit for.  Doesn't Lucius berate Draco in Knockturn Ally about 
being ashamed to come in second to a mudblood (completely 
paraphrased)?  Hermione, as we know, is top of the class which would 
put Draco at no. 2.  Better than Harry and Ron.  Now, I'm talking 
schooling here, so Harry is still, ultimately, a greater and more 
powerful wizard. But when it comes to school Harry is not a model 
student, which, ironically, Draco is.  Master Malfoy is studious, 
hard working, respectful of authority, or at least (in the case of 
Hagrid)pretends to be to others in authority when necessary.  Draco 
knows how to, and chooses to play the game, Harry doesn't or chooses 
not to.   I guess these apples didn't fall far from the tree did they.

I have not doubt Lucius spent Draco's childhood teaching him powerful 
dark magic, especially after Narcissa wouldn't let Draco go to 
Durmstrung. However I don't think the Serpensortia spell is necessary 
a dark spell.  Snakes are not necessarily dark creatures, although 
many cultures believe them to be so.  The do live all over the planet 
with us and how many children have used them to play tricks and jokes 
on other kids and adults?  Many.  I can see it as a spell children 
might use on each other. Not to mention Draco didn't seem to get in 
to trouble using it, nor did it cause a stur among the children 
watching. There would have been some kind of reaction if it was 
something that unusual to come from a 13-year-old boy.