The Case Against Snape

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 133182

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "zgirnius" <zgirnius at y...> wrote:
> inkling108 at y...> wrote:
> > Snape, on the other hand, has no trouble casting the curse, and he 
> > instantly succeeds.  Think of it as a lab test.  If the effect is 
> > death, the cause must have been hatred.  That is the way 
> > Unforgivables work.  And just in case we miss this point JKR writes 
> > that he had an expression of "revulsion and hatred" on his face as 
> > he aimed the curse at Dumbledore.

Nope, there is no reason to think that LV felt any special hatred to
poor Frank the gardener, nor did Wormtail harbor any feelings
whatsoever towards Cedric Digory. If the person can cast the curse
(assuming Bellatrix can be believed), they can kill anyone, regardless
of their feelings towards them.

> zgirnius:
> Others have addressed your other points well, I want to address this 
> one. I submit to the Court that Snape did not succeed in his casting 
> of the AK curse.

I believe he succeeded. But whether DD was killed by the fall
(unlikely because if he were, we should have seen a broken neck, head,
bleeding, etc.) or by the curse, Snape was just as responsible to his
death (although in my opinion, he had no choice at that point).

> My reason? How do people who have been AK'd look? No mark on 'em, a 
> look of terror on their faces, eyes wide open. (See GOF, description 
> of the Riddle murders.)

The Riddles had a look of fear because of what Voldemort said or did
just before they were killed. Cedric Digory looked slightly surprised
but not scared when he died. The curse itself causes no fear, just
instant death.

Salit