Confused. WAS: Re: CHAPDISC: HBP24, Sectumsempra

[zanooda2]

No: HPFGUIDX 161416

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "wiffyboy2003" 
<wiffyboy2003 at ...> wrote:
>
> Eddie:

> > Why was Dumbledore blasted into the air when every other AK death
> > we've seen, the victim just crumpled to the ground?  Why was this
> > one different?
 
> wiffyboy:
<SNIP>

> you seem to be forgeting the spider that Imposter Moody killed in 
> Harry's first DADA class with him. The book said something along 
> the line of "Ron falling out of his  seat as the spider skidded 
> to a stop in front of him."
>  Now, this could just be a blunder on JKR's part, but fact that the
> spider seemed to have shot off from the desk always struck me as 
> odd.


zanooda:

The spider was running in Ron's direction when Fake!Moody AK'd it. 
Wasn't it supposed to continue moving for a while after dying due to 
inertia or something like that(sorry, I'm really bad at physics and 
not so good at English, either :-)? Especially on the smooth surface 
of the table.

> Carol wrote:

>There are several other differences as well, including Dumbledore's
>open eyes and the absence of a surprised expression (he looks like
>he's asleep, not coincidentally resembling his peacefully sleeping
>portrait, IMO). There's also no blinding flash or rushing noise.
>(Harry could see the blinding flash of the AK that killed Cedric
>through *closed eyes*. His earliest memory of his mother's death, or
>perhaps the AK that gave him the scar, was also of a blinding flash 
>of green light.


zanooda:

Now that we know that DD is definitely dead it's not so important 
anymore if Snape's AK was real or not. Just for the sake of 
argument, all the listed differences can be explained.

1. True, Cedric's eyes were open, and DD's closed, but couldn't he 
close them right before he died, or maybe just blinked?

2. It seems that AK victims keep the expression they had at the 
moment of death. Cedric looked surprised, but the three Riddles 
looked terrified. DD wouldn't look surprised, because he knew what's 
coming ("Severus, please") and he wouldn't look terrified, because 
he was not afraid neither of Snape nor of the death("the next great 
adventure" and all). He died at peace with himself, that's why he 
looks so peaceful.

3. As for the the absence of a flash of green light, it can be 
explained too. It all depends on where you stand when the curse is 
cast, IMO. If you face the caster, you see a flash of light, but if 
you watch from aside, you see it as a beam . It's kind of like a 
flashlight, if you are not facing it, you are not blinded. 

On the tower Harry wasn't facing Snape, IMO. He was going to open 
the door when he heard Draco's footsteps, so he just stepped aside. 
I picture the whole scene like this: DD is at the part of the wall 
facing the door, Malfoy, Snape and the DEs facing DD, their backs to 
the door, and Harry at the side part of the wall, right or left from 
the door. I even thought Harry should be behind Snape's back, but, 
as he can see the expression on Snape's face, I'll go with the side 
wall. He can't see the flash, because he is not on the way of the 
the curse.

4. Same goes for the rushing noise. Maybe you only can hear and feel 
it if the curse moves in your general direction, which is not true 
for the tower scene.

It's not so easy to explain why DD falls slowly. Being myself firmly 
in DDM!Snape camp, I would like Carol's explanation to be true 
(Snape sent DD down using Wingardium Leviosa, in order to save his 
body from being mutilated by Greyback). There is a possibility 
though that the whole "slow fall" thing is just some kind of mind 
trick, you know. After all, Sirius is also described to fall through 
the veil slowly, but it's not true. It's just the way Harry sees it.