Buckbeak knows best

[inkling108]

No: HPFGUIDX 134131

Here's an interpretation of the whole Is Snape evil? quandary I 
haven't seen mentioned yet, but then I haven't been able to keep up 
with all the posts, so forgive me if I'm echoing something already 
said:

You may not trust Harry's assessment of Snape because he is 
supposedly biased by his emotions etc etc... but what about 
Buckbeak's assessment of Snape?  He mounts a ferocious attack on our 
greasy haired friend, screeching as he is never screeched before.

Remember JKR saying that certain things in the POA movie gave her 
goose bumps because they anticipated the later books?  One was 
surely Buckbeak's attack on Werewolf Lupin, which Cuaron added on 
his own initiative.  In that instance, Buckbeak saved Harry and 
Hermione from a terrible fate, and no doubt he did the same in 
Chapter 28 of HBP, otherwise why would JKR get goosebumps?

Buckbeak throughout the series has been a symbol of animal nobility 
and wisdom, the one who bears Sirius to freedom.  He is also 
presented as a shrewd judge of character (see the incident with 
Draco in POA).  And there's nothing like sheer animal instinct to 
cut through all the emotionalism and over-thinking humans (including 
Dumbledore, see part 1 of JKR's interview on mugglenet) are prone 
to.  Think about it; how do you react when you bring home someone 
who seems just fine, but your dog starts to growl the minute he sees 
him?

So my money's on Buckbeak to be the one who sees the situation most 
clearly, and takes the appropriate action.  As Hagrid once 
said, "Beaky, yeh clever boy...."

Inkling