Snape's Attack on Flitwick

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 139530

> mhbobbin:
> Although I lean to believing that Snape killed Dumbledore on 
> Dumbledore's orders, and that Snape isn't really working for 
> Voldemort, I am most troubled by my inability to reconcile Snape's 
> attack on Flitwick with this theory.

Christina:

I think Order!Snape makes for a much more compelling story and fills
what I think is an important niche in the books (a person that is a
bad/mean/spiteful person but still works against evil).  It's
interesting that you should find the Snape/Flitwick incident
detrimental to your theory, because I've always used it as evidence of
Snape's loyalty to the Order (which I guess just goes to show the wide
interpretations that are possible in the HP books)!

I've always thought the better question was: why doesn't Snape *kill*
Flitwick?  He certainly seems capable.  Also, why doesn't he stun
Hermione and Luna?  He knows that Hermione is a smart kid and *very*
meddlesome.  If he had no issues about stupefying Flitwick, why not be
sure that Hermione is out of the way also?  To me, it seems as though
Snape was trying to get everyone out of his way in the *least* harmful
way possible.

>Jen: 
>But it's a little odd no one bothered to ask Flitwick any questions,
>since he could confirm what happened. 

Christina:

I don't think it really mattered to anyone.  I mean, who really cared
whether or not Snape hurt Flitwick- if Snape killed Dumbledore, then
that was enough.

>Jen:
>I wonder if Flitwick saw something Snape didn't want him to see? And
>Snape memory-charmed him before Stupefying him?

Christina:

Ohhh, I like it!  What *was* Snape doing that night?  Dumbledore says
to "wake Severus," but that doesn't mean he was really asleep.

>Jen: 
>The only thing countering a fainting incident was Hermione saying
>Snape 'Stupefied' Flitwick and she usually knows her spells.

Christina:

Actually, Hermione has no evidence that Snape actually stupefied
Flitwick- at the time even she believed that he had just collapsed. 
It was only in retrospect that she *figured* that's what must have
happened.  Here's what she said,

(HBP, US Ed., page 619)
"...He just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying
that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud
thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room....He said Professor
Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him
while he - while he went to help fight the Death Eaters....We went
into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found
him unconscious on the floor...and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must
have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realize, Harry, we didn't
realize, we just let Snape go!"
(end quote)

Flitwick did seem distressed when he ran into Snape's office (Hermione
said that she didn't even think that he noticed she and Luna were
there), so maybe he fainted in his panic.

Still, that said...

>Marianne S:
>However, I don't think Flitwick fainted. I believe he was cursed by
>Snape much the same way Dumbledore froze Harry or Hermione cursed
>Neville in PS/SS. That is, Snape cursed him not an enemy but as
>someone on the same side who just needs Flitwick to not interfere.
>This also gives him a reason to keep Hermione and Luna out of danger.

Christina:

I agree.  Even if it does turn out that Snape has ultimately rejoined
the Death Eaters, I don't think he came to that decision until he
found Dumbledore on the tower and saw how slim his options had become.
 I think his actions regarding Flitwick, Hermione, and Luna were those
of a double agent in a highly precarious position who needed to be
able to mold into whatever role was required for the situation at hand
*without interference*.  If Flitwick had followed Snape down the
hallway and they ran into some Death Eaters, Snape would have been
stuck in a pretty tough situation.  He would have been forced to turn
on either Flitwick or the Death Eaters, costing him his position as a
double agent no matter which option he chose or what side he was truly
on.  I personally think that Snape is still good, but I think his
actions in this particular situation don't really support any
interpretation.  Snape is a double agent.  Whether he's working for
Dumbledore or Voldemort (or still considering which side to fall on),
blowing his cover is the worst thing he can do.  Which is why he
needed Flitwick (and Hermione and Luna) safely out of his way.


Christina