Draco's Hand of Glory and Teen!Snape's cutting curse (Was: World Building)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 167671

Magpie:
> <snip>
> The stuff introduced in B&B's shop seems to be there to establish
the existance of the stuff Draco's going to use later-we assume the
necklace is the same one and not a different necklace.

Carol responds:

I agree with this idea and with most of your post, but I'd also like
to mention that the interview Pippin cites is from October 2000, after
both Poa and Gof had been published, and CoS came out in July 1998
(the manuscript having been completed months before). JKR was wrote
those three books in quick succession, had to rewrite a large portion
of GoF that didn't work out, and then rush to meet an unrealistic
deadline. Most of the chapters in CoS and all of the chapters in two
longer books (one of them very long) came between the interview and
that chapter--time enough for her to become fuzzy on the details and
to come to *believe* that Draco had actually acquired the Hand of
Glory in CoS. I don't think she checked the detail as she wrote HBP
because the idea that Draco already had the Hand of Glory (perhaps
stashed in that secret chamber beneath the Malfoy drawing room) was so
firmly established in her own mind.

 
I do disagree with your little aside, "(I also believe the curse Snape
throws at James in the Pensieve is to establish Sectumsempra)," however.

James wasn't "cut always." He had no problems casting more spells or
defending himself to Lily. He was in no danger, nor is there any
indication that he needed either a complex countercurse to stop the
bleeding or dittany to prevent him from having a scar on his forehead
like his future son.

There's no motive *before* the "Worst Memory" scene for Severus to
invent that spell, but plenty of reason to seek revenge after it--or
after the so-called Prank. I think he used that little cutting spell
(perhaps "Sectum") and developed it into something much worse,
something Dark and deadly, Sectum*sempra*, in response to that
incident. He wanted a spell especially developed "For enemies" to get
back at James and Sirius. (He must not have used it, however, or
they'd have been found like Draco lying in a pool of their own blood
and Severus would have been expelled.)

So, yes, there's some foreshadowing here, and a revelation of motive,
but I don't think they're the same spell. Too many differences and
insufficient reason for him to have invented anything worse than the
toenail hex and Langlock before that time.

Carol, snipping large portions of Magpie's post that I agree with