Whoops! Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 29, Career Advice

[hogsheadbarmaid]

No: HPFGUIDX 115989


Potioncat:
> For one thing, if he broke it, Snape looks silly, not powerful.  If 
> he broke it, it was a "Clumsy me!" sort of approach. If someone 
else 
> broke it, it's "I don't care." which is more powerful.
> 

barmaid:

I did not read it as "silly" or "clumsy" at all, but rather as 
deliberate and mean.  First I should say I am a Snape fan of a sort.  
I find him so compelling as a damaged, conflicted person who I 
believe is trying hard to be "good" when this is not his natural 
way.  I have suggested before that he is a sort of "dry drunk" when 
it comes to evil...

*anyway* - I always have read this scene like this:  Harry turns in 
his potion and turns away.  Snape picks up the potion and looks at 
Harry, looks at the potion, and willfully drops the vile or flask or 
whatever.  He gets a little evil grin and says in a voice dripping 
with sarcasm, "Whoops".  Sounds very powerful to me.

Of course, I am filling in the details there with my own imagination 
and you are right that we do not really *know* what happened.  That 
may be on purpose, or JKR may have thought it was obvious and 
required no detailed explanation.

     --barmaid