Grammar question - differences in editions?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 148743

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "chrusotoxos" <heos at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> Hi!
> 
> I was surprised about a sentence DD told Draco on the tower, but 
maybe
> it is a stupid sentence (English is not my first language...).
> 
> DD: "I asked SS to watch over you..."
> Draco: "He was protecting me because he made an UV to my mother"
> DD: "This is what he may have told you, but"
> 
> MAY have told you? Well, it was the truth, wasn't it? Whatever SS 
was
> doing on DD's orders, his primary goal in watch over DM was to 
fulfill
> the UV and thus save his own life.
> 
> I've been trying to understand if indeed that "may" suggests that DD
> didn't know about the UV.

Geoff: 
(1) This is very interesting because, if you have quoted canon 
verbatim, I think we have another situation from the tower chapter 
where editions disagree.

Unless I'm missing another reference, canon in my edition reads:

'"Why didn't you stop me, then?" Malfoy demanded.
"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on 
my orders -"
"He hasn't been doing your orders, he promised my mother-"
"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but-"'
(HBP "The Lightning-struck Tower" p.549 UK edition)

So there's something else for us to chew over to join past 
discussions on Dumbledore's offer to Draco to come over to his side a 
couple of pages later.

(2) Referring back to the "may", there's nothing grammatically 
incorrect about it. As others have pointed out, the but could follow 
on to a number of conclusions. As imaginary examples:

"We know that no one could have got into the murdered man's room 
without being seen."
"That may be so, but I would like you to reconsider every 
possibility, however crazy."

"I hate John and don't want to see him again."
"That may be so, but you have to work with him whether you like him 
or not."

As a canon example, Dumbledore's comment which you quote could have 
continued:
"This is what he may have told you but the fact is that I had asked 
him to cary out this task and he had agreed."

Food for thought?