Heroes and Not - What should Snape Have Done?.

[h2so3f]

No: HPFGUIDX 145274

Sherry wrote: <snip> 
"DDM Snape people, ask what should Snape have done. if he didn't 
kill DD,
and the effects of the UV kick in, then the death eaters would have 
killed
Dumbledore, Harry would have jumped into the fray and been killed; 
death
eaters would have overrun the school. I ask you, canon please? Do we
indeed *know* that is what would have happened?"


CH3ed:
We don't "know" either way, but there are more canon supporting 
death as the result of breaking the UV (albeit from Ron. But Arthur 
took it seriously enough he actually beat the twins for it -"Fred 
reckons his left buttock has never been the same since" HBP ch.16 
p.326 Scholastic Hardback). 

We have canon that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had near misses with DEs 
curses. And we can infer from canon that they couldn't have had a 
lot of felix after splitting what Harry gave them into three. We 
have canon that the OotP were far from gaining an upper hand on the 
invading DEs ("We were in trouble, we were losing," said Tonks in a 
low voice. "Gibbon was down, but the rest of the DEs seemed ready to 
fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Bill had been savaged by 
Greyback...It was all dark...curses flying everywhere...") 

We have seen enough of Harry tearing of recklessly in the heat of 
emotion into danger that it is far more likely he would have done it 
again rather than not (jumping Sirius in the Shrieking Shack in PoA, 
going to the DoM in OotP, going after Bellatrix by himself in OotP). 

Had Snape been a true DE he could have easily killed Harry when he 
had him wandless and alone during his escape. It doesn't take a long 
time to perform the AK curse. If Snape had the time to block all of 
Harry's spell lazily, to prevent another DE from crucio-ing Harry, 
and to tell Harry to keep his mind closed and his mouth shut when 
cursing (and to not used Snape's spells), then Snape had ample time 
to AK Harry. Even if LV did order him not to kill Harry, Snape could 
have probably getaway with doing so since Harry was forcing a fight 
on him (and that Snape had just killed DD would help his case). ESS!
Snape also could have joined the other DEs in fighting the OotP and 
DA members instead of calling them away. The other DEs were doing 
quite well against them before, with Snape and Draco added to the 
fray it is likely more good guys would have been killed.

Sherry wrote:
"I believe that Harry notes that Dumbledore is sounding stronger 
toward the
end of the conversation with Draco. " <snip>


CH3ed:
This is after DD was done talking with Draco and the other DEs had 
joined them:
   "Malfoy was showing less resolution than ever. He looked 
terrified as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, 
and rather lower than usual, as he had slid so far down the rampart 
wall." 
                                                ( HBP, CH.27 p.594: 
Scholastic hardback)
Snape enters the scene shortly after and DD didn't show any sign of 
recovering that we are told of.


Sherry wrote:
" Dumbledore is also the greatest wizard alive, possibly of all 
time. i cannot believe that he was incapable of summoning back his 
wand with a cute little nonverbal spell, and effectively dealing 
with the death eaters who were on the tower." <snip>


CH3ed:
I think JKR said in an interview that without a wand a wizard can do 
some small diffused magic, but he needs a wand to work a real spell. 
DD's wand wasn't just laying around the turret somewhere. It got 
blown all the way down the tower. DD himself got weaker and weaker 
since he drank the potion (the only time he seemed to have gained a 
second wind was when he learnt of the dark mark over the tower and 
got on the bloom to fly back). DD was a great wizard, but he was 
still a mortal and quite an old man and he knew it. He's been in the 
process of passing the torch on to Harry all year.  

CH3ed also wishes we won't have to wait another 2 years for Book 7. 
But at the same time thinks it better for JKR to spend time with her 
3rd kid now and enjoy a good holiday season instead of writing 
much. :O)