Snape's "saving" of Harry--was Re: Hard time for Snape?

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 140019

> > Alla:
> > 
> > I disagree that Snape went out of his way in PS/SS. I think that 
> > being a former(?) DE, he recognised the dark curse faster than
any 
> > other teacher and reacted faster. But that is JMO of course.

> zgirnius:
> I think Julie is trying here to point out that if Snape has come to 
> consider his work with Dumbledore burdensome by PS/SS, he could
have 
> just done nothing to save Harry. Allowing Harry to be killed by 
> Quirrell would be something he could "get away" with. Of course if 
> we are supposing a truly remorseful Snape who wants to make up for 
> his past crimes, this would not be something he could consider...

Do we still think that Snape saved (or truly thought he was saving)
Harry's life in PS/SS? Didn't Dumbledore slow Harry's fall from his
broom in PoA? (So we know there's such a spell.)

Actually, I have always had a very hard time believing that Hogwarts
allows Quidditch matches with children as young as twelve (eleven in
Harry's exceptional case) flying high in the sky without having a
staff member (Madame Hooch, maybe--'though Neville did get thoroughly
banged up under her tutelage in flying class) assigned to cast a
"slow-fall" spell as needed. Then again, Quidditch *practice*
apparently goes on without benefit of any sort of magical net.

On yet another hand, there has also been discussion about how much
tougher (or at least less concerned with physical damage) wizards seem
than Muggles (as demonstrated by Neville's uncle's impulse to fling
his nephew out the window and said nephew's subsequent bouncing),
possibly due to how how magic seems able to mend things Muggle medics
can't. In light of all this, I just don't place a very high value on
Snape's countercurse anymore. So I'm long-windedly agreeing with Alla
(Snape's actions were nothing very special), and adding: it no longer
seems nearly as likely to me that the fall would have been fatal in
lieu of Snape's intervention, anyway.

JMO (ahem),
Sandy aka msbeadsley