[HPforGrownups] Curses and non-descriptions (was: DDM!Snape clue)

[Karen]

No: HPFGUIDX 148447


On Sunday, February 19, 2006, at 09:46 PM, Neri wrote:

> Neri:
> First, I have to comment that during my first read of HBP I
> automatically assumed that it was Harry himself who shouted
> "Petrificus Totalus!" and I never even thought it might be somebody
> else, until I found that some members in the list think so. When I
> read this part again, trying to think back why I assumed it was Harry,
> I believe it was because only three paragraphs before that Harry uses
> the same curse on Brutal Face, and again it's not explicitly written
> that it's Harry who shouts the curse. It's not even written "he raised
> his wand" or something of that sort. So theoretically it's even
> possible that it was Snape, from the bottom of the tower, who cursed
> Brutal Face too, but somehow it's obvious to the reader (or at least
> it's obvious to me) that it was Harry. It was also obvious to me that
> it was Harry who shouted the Petrificus Totalus that got Greyback,
> only because it's written in the same way as the Petrificus Totalus
> that got Brutal Face.
>
> BTW, I never understood the text to say that Harry wasn't able to
> raise his wand, only that he didn't have time to do so before Greyback
> was on him. But it isn't written that Greyback was pinning his wand
> hand or something like that, so I never saw a reason to think it
> wasn't Harry.
>

kchuplis:

I have to say, this is just what I thought as well. I suppose I was 
"assuming", but I believed (and actually do believe) that it was Harry. 
I can see the argument for another, but the way it is written, I 
believe it was meant to be Harry and that the "non-descriptor" as you 
call it is a device she uses when representing furious activity and 
action to quicken the pace. That is how it reads to me at any rate. In 
any other book it would not be scrutinized to this degree and therefore 
I think it is a legitimate device to quicken pace, but since it's JKR, 
we do look for coloring and clues everywhere :)

(OK, it isn't midnight, but I will not post at all tomorrow in 
punishment. Bad Dobby).