A few thoughts

[mompowered]

No: HPFGUIDX 137080

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> Finally:
> 
> '"Kill me then," panted Harry who felt no fear at all but only 
rage 
> and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward - "
> "DON'T -" screamed Snape and his face was suddenly demented, 
inhuman, 
> as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck 
in 
> the burning house behind them, "- CALL ME COWARD!"
> And he slashed at the air; Harry felt a white-hot, whiplike 
something 
> hit him across the face and was slammed backwards into the ground. 
> Spots of light burst infromt of his eyes and for a moment all the 
> breath seemd to have gone from his body..'
> 
> (HBP "Flight of the Prince" p.564 UK edition)
> 
> Anyone got any ideas on this spell? I'm convinced it's 
> not "Sectumsempra" and I don't think it's the spell which Dolohov 
> threw at Hermione in OOTP.

I don't think Snape hit Harry here with a spell at all.  I think 
Buckbeak came to defend Harry and hit him in the face with his wing 
in the process of going after Snape.  Snape slashed his wand in the 
air as he saw Buckbeack coming at him and, of course, Harry thinks 
Snape is cursing him.  Harry also thought Snape was casting the 
Cruciatrus on him earlier in the chapter, when it was actually 
another DE.  Another instance of Harry wanting to blame things on 
Snape (which I can't blame him for after the way Snape has treated 
him, and after what he witnessed in the tower).

Cheryl