Snape and AK curse

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 136162

"Cindy" wrote:
> Maybe this has been addressed already (I have been having a heck of 
a 
> time catching up on the posts as I just finished reading HBP).
> 
> Snape used the AK curse on DD.  Why?  DD was near death, slipping 
> along the tower, with no wand.  All Snape had to do was use a spell 
> to fling him off the tower.  It is very unlikely someone could 
> survive such a fall, much less one in DD's condition.  Why *that* 
> particular curse?

zgirnius:
Hi Cindy, hope you enjoyed the book! There are theories, in assorted 
posts from the last 2 weeks, about this. The ones I can remember are:

1) Yours, nothing wrong with yours, and your view is shared by 
others, that Snape did it because he's loyal to Voldemort, or 
alternatively a deeply evil guy who's out for himself. At any rate 
not someone who cares about Unforgivables being Unforgivable.

2) That AK, if you read carefully, was perhaps odd. Unlike AKs we 
have seen in the past, it did not drop DD in his tracks, it "blasted" 
him into the air. He had his eyes closed, and a peaceful expression, 
when viewed after the fall, instead of eyes open and a look of 
horror. Also, there was blood. And finally, Harry remained frozen for 
a few moments after the spell. He attributed this to shock, but 
perhaps DD actually died moments after the spell was cast, and only 
then was Harry freed from the body bind. 

These effects are attributed by different people to a nonverbal spell 
Snape performed while speaking the AK, or to the idea that an AK 
which *failed* might have the blast into the air effect. The reason 
to fake an AK in these theories is for the benefit of the watching 
Death Eaters, so they would be impressed by what a powerful DE Snape 
is. The reason for attempting to do an AK is again because that's 
what a DE does, the reason for failure would be that Snape doesn't 
*mean it* in the sense required for an Unforgiveable Curse to work. 
(I am a sentimentalist at heart, I suppose, I like this explanation 
best...)

3) Someone else suggested that throwing a weakened, elderly person 
off a tower is less humane than an AK, since with an AK death is 
instantaneous.

Cindy again:
>I think Snape *is* a 
> coward; someone who follows the winning side.

zgirnius:
Yes, people are always saying this about Snape. I just don't see it. 
Whether he wants to be the next Evil Overlord, is a loyal servant of 
Voldemort, is a flawed person who can't stick with any side in the 
conflict, or an honestly converted member of the Order, the guy has 
some guts. I mean, why not just graduate, get a job somewhere making 
potions, (better, make a killing on the revised Advanced Potions 
text...) and just keep your head down? Join the Death Eaters? Then 
defect?! (Even if you fake defecting, this gets risky, what if you 
are too convincing??)

I don't doubt he has done things that are less than optimally brave, 
and killing DD may well be a prime example. But I think listing 
cowardice as a fundamental character element for this guy is not 
giving him enough credit.