HBP Review in Globe and Mail

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 135611

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" <delwynmarch at y...>
wrote:

> Del replies:
[Regarding Snape's comment to Harry "No Unforgivable Curses from you,
Potter!"]
> I seem to remember that
> Snape further explains that Harry doesn't have what it takes, or
> something to that effect. This reminds me strongly of Bella's
> tauntings at the end of OoP, which were pointedly not anything close
> to a compliment or an encouragement or anything positive.

Salit again:
There is a big difference between the unbalanced Bellatrix and the
calculating Snape. The only times that Snape's words are not well
thought out is when Harry gets him really angry. During his duel with
Harry, he is clearly the stronger, easily blocks everything Harry
throws at him and finally disarms him without effort. Yet he never
attacks Harry until he gets mad at him calling him coward, and then it
is something on the order of a slap on the face. He prevents other
Death Eaters from harming Harry.

Snape's remark that Harry does not have what it takes to use an
Unforgivable Curse (all too true) sounds very much like his usual
taunting. In fact, I thought the whole duel scene remarkably similar
to the occlumency lessons, because Snape was using it for teaching
Harry and instructing him... But the key phrase remains "No
Unforgivable Curses from you Potter". He could have phrased it as "You
 don't have it in you to do Unforgivable Curses" or something like
that if he wanted to taunt Harry, but instead he used his "teacher
voice" that to me sounded oddly protective...

> Del replies:
> My ranting was based on the premise that Snape had NO such obligation,
> that he killed DD either because he is truly a DE and always was, or
> because he was always serving only himself. It is in *that* case that
> I would be hugely disappointed with DD's murder at the hands of Snape.

I am pretty sure that was not the case. I think the key scene of the
book was the one in chapter 2 where Snape makes the Unbreakable Oath
to Narcissa. Throughout the entire book we see Snape repeatedly trying
to get Malfoy to tell him what he had to do and fails. Through the
book Snape is working very hard at helping Malfoy accomplish the the
task even though he does not know what it is. In the end, he does it
for Malfoy when it is clear he can't do it - just as he had sworn to
do, but he certainly does not look happy at the accomplishment - I
believe the revulsion on his face was for himself.

> Del replies:
[Regarding Harry losing every person he is close to]
> Well, yes, and that's getting old in my book. I mean, once is OK,
> twice is really sad, but three times borders on ridicule *for me*,
> especially when it happens in two books in a row! If it were people
> he'd known for years, it would be different, but here the pattern is
> always the same: Harry enjoys somebody's company for a few months, and
> then they get killed. It's getting old really fast, for me.

Well, the whole premise of the serie is about choice and prophecy.
Without losing his mentors, Harry will not grow up to make the choices
for himself to do what the prophecy suggested he would do:
1. If his parents were not killed, Harry would never have developed as
he was or had his powers or his desire to destroy Voldemort.
2. If Sirius had not died, Harry would still latch on to him as a
mentor when it was necessary for him to outgrow him. Sirius was too
damaged and immature to serve as a mentor, and his personal conflict
with Snape would have detracted from the Harry/Snape conflicts.
3. DD had to die for the story to make sense. Otherwise, why is it
Harry and not DD the most qualified wizard to face Voldemort?

> Del replies:
> Yes, but what if it *doesn't*? See, THAT is what I am afraid of: that
> Snape will be shown to be a very simple character, who either always
> worked for LV or simply always played both sides for his own
> advantage, and in both cases DD was simply *wrong* to trust him.

I doubt it. DD's trust in Snape was mentioned repeatedly in all the
books. DD has also been represented as the ultimate Wise Man.
Portraying him as a fool and a dup in the end simply does not match
the spirit of the books.

Another point that is repeatedly emphasized in the books is how old DD
is and that he does not fear death. I believe that DD had a good
reason to trust Snape, but it had nothing to do with his own personal
welfare, rather Harry's.

JKR said there were enough clues in HBP for readers to get a good idea
on what will happen in book 7. My own guess is that Snape made another
Unbreakable oath to protect Harry. This would fully explain why DD
trusted him, especially as Snape is the only one who has heard part of
the prophecy, aside from Harry (and I doubt Snape knows that Harry
heard it). However, Snape never made any promises to protect DD, so
killing him did not contradict either one of the two oaths...

Whether or not the above will happen, I am sure it was not be a trite
reason that led DD to place such trust in Snape. I have faith in JKR
to have an ending that is at the same quality level as the other books
have been.

Salit