Chapter 29, Career Advice - Broken Potion

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 116670


Alla reported Potioncat's view:
> I can also see Potioncat's reason for Snape not doing it - that if 
> he wanted to do it, he would do it with Harry watching, not with 
> Harry's back turned.


Bboyminn said:
> Well, I think you've hit the nail right on the head. JKR wrote it 
> this way to create a mystery. We are suppose to suspect that Snape 
> broke it on purpose just to harrass Harry, but at the same time, 
> she wrote it from Harry's perspective, and his back was turned. 
> Since his back was turned, and we have no other perspective, it 
> forever remains a mystery.

> Personally, I think Snape broke it on purpose. But there is no way 
> I can prove that, just as there is no way Harry can prove that 
> Snape intentionally broke it. But that doesn't stop either Harry 
> or myself from increasing our contempt for and anger at Snape. 
> This is one of many events that further alienates Harry from 
> Snape. 


SSSusan:
I agree with Steve and, for once, totally disagree with Potioncat.  
As I said almost a full week ago (in two different posts):
Harry isn't *supposed* to know for certain that Snape broke it--that 
way he can't accuse him or report him! IMO, Snape saw what Hermione 
was doing, saw that Harry's back was turned, made a quick decision 
to "repay" Potter for the Pensieve incident.  Perfect!  Potter 
will "know" from the look on his face and the "Whoops" but he won't 
be able to DO anything about it because he didn't see it directly.

Steve's right that none of us can prove our view, but I did find it 
interesting that Nora brought up what a typical 12-year-old would 
think about this scene. To test that theory, I found my 8-year-old 
daughter who's read/listened to OotP 4 or 5 times.  

"Hey, Kristen."
"Yeah?"
"You know that scene in OotP after Harry got into Snape's pensieve 
and he's in Potions class?  Where he's just turned in his potion 
vial--"
"Yeah, and he dropped it on the ground!!"
"Who's `he'?"
"Well, duh--Snape!!"

Is this evidence that I'm right?  Of course not.  But it is evidence 
that the kid's way of viewing this scene is that it's obvious that 
Snape did it.  Now, maybe JKR wants the mystery to be there, wants 
the obvious answer to be Snape when it's really not.  But I agree w/ 
Steve that I don't think this is going to turn into a major plot 
point; I don't think it's going to MATTER in some significant way.  
Therefore *I* think the most obvious answer is the best fit.  And 
again, I think the mystery is there only because it's Harry's POV 
and Snape made SURE Harry couldn't be certain!

Snape has threatened to poison Neville's toad in front of an entire 
class.  Why would he care if Draco or a couple of other kids saw him 
letting Potter's potion crash to the ground?  He gets Harry 
**better** by ensuring that he's unable to go off and complain to 
anyone about it.  


Carol:
However, I think now, based on Draco's laugh, that Harry probably
missed the counter in his haste to turn in the vial and get out of
there.

SSSusan:
Yup.  I've done this.  But the thing is, I've never started walking 
away and *then* had the glass hit the floor.  I've always been in 
the *process* of turning away when I realize it's falling but have 
been unable to quite grab it as it heads down.  I don't see how 
Harry could have set it so precariously that it would fall by itself 
but *not* have it do so `til his back is fully turned & he's walking 
away.


Siriusly Snapey Susan