Draco as Victim in GoF (was: Re: The Huge overreactions...)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 150304

> Magpie:
>
> What's gained by this not being Sectumsempra?  <snip>  The only
thing gained from assuming the spell used in the Pensieve isn't
Sectumsempra that comes to my mind immediately is that it puts more
distance between Snape and the incredibly violent spell from HBP and
adds a self-defense note to it.  It suggests Snape didn't make a
really bad spell until Sirius tried to kill him. <snip>

Carol:
Exactly. I wouldn't strenuously object to the idea that the spell used
in the Pensieve was a very controlled Sectum Sempra, but it doesn't
fit the chronology, and we don't see the bleeding and scarring from it
that we'd see with Sectum Sempra. There's no indication that James
could have died from that cut or that it's any more dangerous than a
stinging hex.

For good or ill, I don't think that Severus had invented the true
Sectum Sempra curse yet--either that or JKR has messed up her maths
again. And the explanation that works best for me is that he invented
SS as retaliation for the so-called Prank, with the cutting hex he'd
used on James the previous year as a precursor to the darker, deadlier
model that was prompted by the Prank, which we know he saw as a murder
attempt. What cause he might have had before that to develop a truly
Dark curse I can't imagine. I don't think he did.

Carol