post DH musings on PS

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 179608

Allie:
> > >
> > > Yes, something like "ways of treating a werewolf bite."  <snip>
> > 
montims:
> > and of course, as we learn in HBP when Bill is attacked, there is
NO remedy for a werewolf bite...  Hmmm...

Allie:
> 
> Maybe ways of treating the person so they don't die...  Or
minimizing  scars like they tried for Bill...

Carol:

Probably, we're just dealing with a JKRian inconsistency (or maybe
just Wolfsbane potion, which is the closest thing to a remedy for
werewolf bites in the books. (And you can use a Homorphus Charm to
identify the werewolf though that's more like a death sentence than a
cure.) I'm surprised that werewolves (and vampires) were mentioned at
all in first year since they're not even covered until third year.
(Side note: Except for Lockhart, Umbridge, and Snape, all of the DADA
teachers seem to have used the same textbook--at least, Harry and his
friends bring the same book that they used in Quirrell's class to
Fake!Moody's class. He, however, tells them to put their books away. I
guess he didn't want no book learnin' to interfere with practical
matters like cursing his own students. So are Dark creatures and Dark
curses covered in the same book?)

Regarding Bill's scars, it's possible that Madam Pomfrey, who is no
expert in the Dark Arts despite her skill in treating broken bones and
elongated teeth. It's surprising that she didn't at least try dittany,
which Snape tells Draco to take to prevent scars from Sectumsempra
(and which progresses to actually healing wounds in DH). I wonder
whether Snape, whose Healing skills relate directly to the Dark Arts,
could have helped her provide the right remedy for Bill's scars. He
might even have had whatever was needed already on hand.
Unfortunately, however, he was unavailable, just as he was unavailable
to help Bill's brother George after he (snape) accidentally blasted
off George's ear. Mrs. Weasley can stop the bleeding, but she and
Lupin think that nothing can heal that Dark curse and give George back
his ear. Harry doesn't think to tell them about Snape's countercurse,
which healed Draco of the damage done by that same Dark curse. Then,
again, Harry probably doesn't want to admit that he cast that curse
(or to say anything good about Snape).

Carol, thinking that our best bet is simply to sigh and say, "Oh,
dear, consistency!" when confronted with such lapses