Broken potionvial WAS: Re: Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[zanooda2]

No: HPFGUIDX 163210

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at ...> 
wrote:

> The real debate ought to be, why do we read this passage so 
> differently?


zanooda:

This is a very interesting question, but it's not easy to answer. I 
thought Snape broke the flask on purpose the first time I read this 
chapter, and I still think he did it even now that I saw arguments 
against it. However, it's difficult to explain why I feel this way.

I thought about it for a while, and here is the only explanation I 
can offer. Snape's reaction to Harry's Pensieve visit was so violent 
that it left no doubt: he doesn't intend to forgive Harry any time 
soon. It is the first time that Snape gets physical, shaking Harry, 
shouting, throwing jars etc. It's also the first time that Harry gets 
actually scared of Snape. This atypical for Snape behavior shows to 
what extent he is enraged.

Knowing Snape's vindictive nature, I was expecting him to do 
something extra-mean to Harry at the first opportunity. When during 
the first "after-Pensieve" lesson Snape chose to just ignore the boy, 
Harry felt relieved, but I thought it was too good to be true. I was 
waiting for Snape to make his move, and when the flask fell, I 
assumed that was *it*, even if there was no indication in the text 
that it was Snape who dropped the sample.

I don't know if this is a satisfying enough answer to your question, 
but it's the best I managed to come up with :-).