[HPforGrownups] AW: JKR's Single Biggest Error

[Vivamus]

No: HPFGUIDX 124123

> >Vivamus:
> The snake bit him four times, so he
> probably got a full load of venom from a 12+ foot long snake. 
>  Arthur would be dead long before anyone could get there.  
> 
> (To put it in perspective, there are some snakes that can 
> kill an adult in a matter of seconds.)
> 
> Arynn: 
> Or the bites were "dry bites", Since you know alot about 
> snakes you know that there are is such a thing. And since 
> Voldy wanted to draw as little attention as possible to the 
> attack, he wouldn't have injected venom, (assuming, of 
> course, that he was possesing the snake at the time).

Vivamus:

Y'know, Arynn, I didn't even think of dry bites as a possibility in this
case, because of the references to the venom in St. Mungo's.   Of course, I
was also thinking Nagini was an ordinary snake, perhaps with familial
powers, but I think that's now been disproven conclusively (although I think
Dungrollin, for one, still disagrees.)  If she is a magical being, or a
fully magical creature of some kind, anything is possible.

In the dream, the Harry!LV!snake saw the man stirring, knew he had been
spotted, and had to silence him.  The snake rose, I think, specifically to
kill Arthur, and it did plunge its fangs into him.  I don't know how that
could be done without it being obvious the attack came from a snake (or
something snake-like, but with very different jaws.)  No matter what, the
result of that attack would be extremely suspicious.  If Arthur lived,
though, he could definitely say it was a big snake, which really would point
to LV, so LV wanted to kill him.   
  
> If they found a body at the MoM dead from snake venom, that 
> would send up warning flags, since we know snakes are 
> associated with "dark magic". If there was no venom, then the 
> bite could be explained away as coming from some other 
> animal. We all know Fudge would put that spin on it. How do 
> you imageing Fudge would explain away this headline:  
>  
> Employee found dead at MoM
> Poisonous snake escapes capture

Vivamus:
It would be hard for Fudge to explain, all right, but maybe LV was more
concerned about completing his reconnaissance without an alarm being raised
than about what Fudge might have to hush up afterwards.

>From LV's perspective, though, a mysterious attack (and a dead OOtP member)
is much better than a living eyewitness to Nagini wandering about the
Ministry and attacking people.

I just can't see any reason why the snake would dry-bite.  LV had every
reason to kill Arthur, and none to keep him alive.

Vivamus