[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape ignoring HP blood (was: CHAPDISC: HBP8)

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 146641

On 18 Jan 2006 at 3:43, dumbledore11214 wrote:

> Shaun:
> <HUGE SNIP>
> > They would have only done so if they were confident a student 
> didn't 
> > need medical care. If they suspected a reasonable chance that they 
> > did, then they wouldn't have ignored it (and if they did, they'd 
> have 
> > been seriously failing in a teachers duty of care). But if they 
> were 
> > confident that the student was unlikely to need medical care, then 
> > it's very possible they'd have ignored such injuries?
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I snipped a lot, because that is my main point - I don't think that 
> Snape CAN be confident that Harry does not need medical care at all. 
> IMO of course. He does not just have a tricle of blood on his face, 
> his whole face is bloodied. I think Snape should have checked, but 
> of 
> course he is Snape. It is just I cannot help but be amazed every 
> time 
> I see the new evidence of his cruelty.(IMO of course) I am just 
> wondering how far he can go. I stated in my previous post that I 
> believe that as of right now Snape does not want Harry dead ( and I 
> do 
> NOT think that he has altruistic reasons of course. But I obviously 
> just speculating here), but in my speculative opinion if Harry 
> experiences any kind of suffering less than death(or something that 
> can lead to death as Crucio), be it physical or emotional, Snape 
> will 
> not do anything.

Dried blood on their face is not a sign that a person is really 
likely to need medical care (incidentally, I'm qualified to 
administer first aid in a school environment so assessing injuries in 
students is something I know a little about - in our modern legal 
climate I would never ignore blood but if it was dried, my biggest 
concern would be issues like blood borne pathogens, not injury to the 
bloodied student). Kids get blood noses a lot. Sometimes they bleed 
an awful lot. Once they stop bleeding, you really don't worry about 
them.

In fact, I've just pulled my book out - this is the book we used here 
for the course that qualified me as a school first aider (I actually 
have more than just that basic course as well).

The instructions for how to deal with a blood nose in that book 
(Australian First Aid: The Authorized Manual of St John Ambulance 
Australia) basically indicate no need to seek medical attention - 
from my training, you generally only seek medical attention if the 
nose bleeding hasn't stopped after 30 minutes.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sports_
injuries?OpenDocument

gives this same advice.

But looking again, what does Snape actually see?

We know Harry seems to get quite a lot of blood on his face 
initially.

"He lay there beneath the Invisibility Cloak feeling the blood from 
his nose flow, hot and wet, over his face...

"Harry had never hated Malfoy more than as he lay there like an 
absurd turtle on its back, blook dripping sickeningly into his open 
mouth."

(HBP, British Printing, p.148)

It does sound like a lot of blood.

BUT -

"There was a flash of red light and Harry's body unfroze; he was able 
to push himself into a more dignified sitting position, hastily wipe 
the blood off his bruised face with the back of his hand and raise 
his head to look up at Tonks..."

(p. 149).

Harry wipes the blood off his face. Hastily, yes - but he wipes it 
off.

When he gets to Ron.

"'Where've you - blimey, what've you done to your face?'"

'Why, what's wrong with it?' asked Harry, grabbing a spoon and 
squinting at his distorted reflection."

'You're covered in blood!" said Hermione. 'Come here-'"

(p. 155)

Ron doesn't immediately notice Harry's face - if he was really 
covered in blood, you'd think Ron might have noticed instantly - he 
doesn't.

Harry's response is to ask what's wrong - it seems to me likely that 
Harry believes he doesn't look that bad at this point. After all, he 
did try and wipe the blood off.

Yes, Hermione says he's covered in blood. Personally, I think it's 
likely she's exagerating a bit, given Harry has attempted to clean 
his face.

Also bear in mind that Ron and Hermione are seeing Harry in the well 
lit Hall. Snape saw him outside in the dark.

(And it is dark - we're told this on page 148: "everyone was 
shuffling along the dark platform outside" and again on page 150: 
'From what Harry could see in the darkness, she was as mousy-haired 
and miserable looking as she had been when he had met her at The 
Burrow'.)

Snape brings a lantern - but it doesn't seem to give much light 
really - Harry doesn't recognise Snape until he is only ten feet 
away.

Honestly, I don't see any reason to suppose Snape even got a good 
look at Harry - enough to see he wasn't in his robes, sure - but 
enough to see the remnants of blood that Harry had wiped off his 
face? Blood that his friends don't see until he has sat down between 
them (actually forced his way between them suggesting they are very 
close together) in a much better lit room.

> Shaun:
> > Harry isn't a little boy - he's a capable sixteen year old. 
> > 
> > If he needs medical attention, he's capable of asking for it. 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I speculate that Harry would not ask Snape for medical attention 
> even 
> if he will be close to death as things stand right now. I don't 
> think 
> that it excuses Snape not asking though.

That is Harry's problem - if he is not willing to ask for help when 
he needs it, there's really little a teacher can do. He's not a 
little boy who needs to be coddled.

And, I agree that I doubt Harry would ask Snape for help in such a 
situation. But that is Harry's failure and Harry's responsibility. 

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia