The Too Unreliable Narrator (was: What really happened on the tower)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 155756

> 
> Neri:
> I'm not sure what you mean. The critical plot fact here is when
> Harry's broom stops bucking *in relation* to the events of Quirrell
> knocked off his seat and Snape catching fire.

Pippin:
Yes, and that is exactly what the narrator is ambiguous about.
Here's the quote, with my comments in brackets.
[We're in the stands]
'Come on Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.
[We shift to Hermione]
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape
stood and was not racing along the row behidn him: she didn't even 
stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the
row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her 
wand and whispered a few, well chosen words. Bright blue flames 
shot from her wand on to the hem of Snape's robes.

   It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realise that he was on fire.
A sudden yelp told her that she had done her job. Scooping the fire off
him into a little jar in her pocket she scrambled back along the row --
Snape would never know what happened.
[PoV is ambiguous]
   It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber 
back onto his broom.
[We're back in the stands]
  'Neville, you can look!' Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's
jacket for the last five minutes.

On first reading, it seems as though we are still watching over Hermione's
shoulder and she saw Harry suddenly able to climb back onto his broom
as she scrambled back along the row.

On second reading, it's clear that the narrative perspective shifted *again*
because we know that  Harry's  broom would have stopped bucking at least
thirty seconds before Snape reacted. Sneaky.

Pippin