More PS/SS quotes and musings./Hermione, Snape and others

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 154156


> 
> Carol, who thinks that Snape, as a teacher with ten years' 
experience
> at that point (and an exceedingly good memory rather like 
Hermione's),
> is more likely to have a through knowledge of the rules than any
> first-year, even Hermione

Potioncat:

The name of this chapter is "Quidditch". We learned two chapters ago 
that McGonagall and Snape have a deep-seated rivalry over Quidditch.
Some vague amount of time has passed since Halloween--a couple of 
weeks? It's clearly not just a day or two based on the chapter's 
introduction. We learn a great deal in just a few sentences.

The Trio has formed a friendship. Hermione is helping the boys with 
homework. Hermione can conjure fire--and does so, even though it may 
be against the rules. Snape has an injury. Snape can be outside in 
the daytime. (Hey, that was big news once upon a time!)  

So JKR set us up, over a known rivalry, for Snape to come and 
confiscate the book. Perhaps he took it to keep Potter from learning 
too much about the game. Maybe he was checking out their guilt, but 
needed a cover, so took the book. Book cover--get it? But JKR put him 
there to get our suspicions up. 

In just a few more sentences, Harry will discover that Snape tried to 
get past the three- headed dog. Have we ever learned "why" Snape was 
doing that? Harry has a good idea: Snape is evil. Next we'll see 
Hermione use the fire to distract Snape and save Harry. It all plays 
together very well and tells us much more than we realized at the 
first read. 

Is the "no library books outside of the school" rule genuine? I'd bet 
so. Pince has come to be more and more like Filch and we know how 
fond of rules Filch is. Besides, it just sounds funny that students 
are "made" to go outside in bad weather, but books are not allowed 
out at all. (I'm taking it that the Trio is not outside by choice.)

The real question shouldn't be "Was the rule genuine" but rather "Why 
did the Trio think Hermione's fire was against the rule?" Just what 
kind of magic was it?