HBP (Snape's) old school textbook: FIFTH year text

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 137028

 
> Lama:
> 
> Do we know that The Prank happened in sixth year?  It is 
> speculatively listed there in the HP Lexicon timeline, but I'm not 
> sure there's any canon evidence for that.  Unless Sirius was 
younger 
> than Snape, which to me seems somewhat more unlikely than not, 
> considering his overbearing demeanour towards him, Sirius would 
have 
> turned seventeen in the first half of sixth year, i.e. before 
> Snape's 17th birthday on 9 January.

Potioncat:
Do we know? No, we don't. I tend to think that Severus was guessing 
at Sirius' age based on his own age. There is lots of time for the 
prank between OWLs and Jan 9. We have June, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. I 
think it could have happened as early as the week following the DADA 
OWL, because there is a week of school after Harry takes his OWLs, 
but also could have been any time during 6th year. It depends on 
whether 16 was specific or estimated. 


> Lama:
> On the other hand, I do like your suggestion that Severus's 
> invention of this vicious spell was prompted by his having felt he 
> was in actual danger from these attacks, rather than by mere spite 
> and desire to injure - however much in character that would have 
> been.  

Potioncat:
This does make a lot of sense, and to this Snapaholic, it makes the 
spell almost seem reasonable. If I thought a werewolf might come 
after me, I'd like to have that spell.
> 
> Lama:
> 
> To my mind, the spell Snape used in the Worst Memory incident, 
> rather than being a different curse, seemed more like an embryonic 
> version of Sectumsempra that didn't quite make it to the fullblown  
> stage ... very much akin to Harry's rather feeble early attempts at 
> a Patronus.   

Potioncat:
Well, that was sort of my interpretation. Or along the lines of the 
attempted Crucio that Harry threw at Bella. "You have to mean it." 
The intensity of the damage could be varied. But now I really don't 
think it was the same curse at all. Partly because Snape knows Harry 
saw that spell in the Pensieve. Although both curses could be under 
the heading of cutting spells?