Sectumsempra (was Re: Snape should have kicked James/Siri...

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 156268

 
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> > >Julie
> > <snip>
>  >And,  most
> > importantly of all, he's FIFTEEN! No fifteen  year old boy is going
> to  exert
> > such rational thought  and self-control in that situation 

Potioncat:
But, it seems in other  situations, lack of control have made spells 
more extreme--like in charms  when Flitwick is knocked over, or pillows 
fly too wildly. Or in GoF when  DD's spell breaks down a door and sends 
Crouch!Moody across the room.  

When Harry uses Sectumsempra, Draco is cut wide and deep in several  
places and blood pours. When Snape used a spell on James, the boy  
received a small cut. No one seemed to react and the cut appeared to be  
done with by the time the fight was over. No mention is made of James  
wiping away blood. It seems as unsurprising and insignificant as a  
slight nosebleed in a fight.

It really is hard to tell if it was the  same spell or not. But if it 
was, it was being controlled. IMO, of  course.


 
Julie:
It's true that lack of control often seems to make spells more
extreme. I said in my post that Snape may have still be weakened-
not just physically but magically--by Sirius's impedimenta spell. In
that case he wasn't *able* to cast a full force Sectumsempra, and
the spell did nothing more than cut James on the cheek.
 
I guess it boils down to these three possibilities:
1. The spell Snape used was not Sectumsempra but a lesser spell
that wasn't capable of causing more than minor damage.
2. Snape cast a Sectumsempra, but deliberately controlled it to
cause less damage, because he didn't want to get in trouble, because
he's at heart a humanitarian, or for whatever other reason.
3. Snape cast a Sectumsempra but his magic was impaired by the
Impedimenta spell, thus the resulting spell was very weak. 
 
Really, it could be any of the three, but to me #2 seems the least
likely given Snape's disposition and inability to control his  rage/hate
once it surfaces, even as a nearly 40 year old adult. All IMO,
 
Julie 


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