Hermione must be stopped/Snape's half truths in "Spinner's End"

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 149665

Magpie:

> My point isn't that she can't, physically, be a 
> threat.  I'm talking about the drama in the story.  
> Is there really much to be gained by Bellatrix LaStrange 
> suddenly becoming a central character?  I *don't* 
> think she's a character who dramatically should be 
> able to take down the greatest spy this way. Bellatrix 
> can be the person who makes the vow happen, but I think 
> Snape's got to take it for reasons that go to the heart 
> of who he is, not the passing need to shut Bellatrix 
> LaStrange up one night. That, imo, is just a device, 
> and I don't think the vow is just a device.

houyhnhnm:

I sort of see what you are trying to say--that Snape couldn't have 
been motivated to take the UV by his fear of Bella because he would 
have known that to be brought down by Bella would violate some rule 
of draumaturgy, thus she couldn't really be a threat.  That seems 
awfully convoluted to me.

I'm not one of the English profs on the list, so maybe I shouldn't 
have gotten involved in this discussion in the first place.  I'm just 
a reader, and the characters of the Potterverse interest me to that 
the extent that they remind me of real people or their situations 
remind me of real life.  In RL people are more likely to be brought 
down by a moment of stupid inattention than a Nemesis.  That's why 
Snape's behavior in "Spinner's End" resonates with me rather than 
puzzling me.  It's totally believable.  Been there.  Done that. :-)