Snape Stuns Flitwick: WHY? ( was: CHAPDISC: HBP 29, ...)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 164154

---  "rtbthw_mom" <dossett at ...> wrote:
>
> ...
> 
> >  
> > 3. Assuming Hermione's account of events in Snape's
> > office is  accurate, what do you make of her and 
> > Luna's gullibility? Are you annoyed that they didn't
> > realise immediately that Snape had stupefied Flitwick
> > and try to stop him? 

> Pat:
> 
> ... why in the world Snape would feel the need to 
> Stupify Flitwick, ....  Flitwick's stated purpose was
> to wake Snape and get him to help with the fight - 
> Snape should not have had any way of knowing what was
> coming.  

bboyminn:

Ah... but Snape did know what was coming. Well, he didn't
know the specific (what, where, when, or how), but he
certainly knew that sooner or later /something/ was going
to happen. 

> Pat continues:
> 
> For that matter, what in the world was Snape doing 
> asleep??  ...  

bboyminn:

In this case, I think you have roughly the right 
assessment. Snape told everyone he was going to 'sleep',
which really means 'I'll be in my quarters if anyone
needs me'. If Snape was wandering the castle, he would
not have been as easy to find when Dumbledore returned.
Telling everyone he was going to 'sleep' meant that 
everyone would know precisely where to find him.

Notice, that for someone 'asleep', Snape got dressed 
pretty fast. 

> Pat continues:
>
> ... I ... believe that Dumbledore had told Snape where
> he and Harry were going - well, maybe not *where* they
> were going, but what they'd be doing that evening, and
> that DD expected to have health problems afterwards... 

bboyminn:

I'm not buying any big conspiracy theory here, not that
you are trying to sell one. At best, Dumbledore told 
Snape that he might need him later in the evening, so
Snape should make himself easy to find. Beyond that, I
don't think many details changed hands.

> Pat continues: 
>
> I believe ... the plan was for Snape to stupify *Harry* 
> when DD sent Harry to get Snape.  That would have put
> Harry out of the way while Snape could tend to any of
> DD's 'injuries.'  But instead, Harry was unable to get
> to Snape, and McGonagall sent Flitwick to find  Snape...
> 
> ...

bboyminn:

But why stun Harry? So, Dumbledore needs a bit of Dark
Arts Medical help, what difference does it make whether
Harry is there or not. If they really wanted to get rid
of Harry, all Dumbledore would have had to do is tell 
him to run off to bed; end of story.

Here is what I think. Snape may have known Dumbledore, 
and possibly Harry, were off on some assignment. I 
suspect Snape was on alert to make himself easily 
available if and when needed. The simplest way to do 
that is to let everyone know he would be in his quarters.
So that aspect is covered.

Snape was aware, in general, that Draco was up to some
thing, and he was further aware it was not a pleasant
something. But he didn't know specifically what or when,
and he wasn't involved in any of the planning aspects of
it. When Flitwick came and told Snape Death Eaters were
in the castle, he knew whatever Draco was planning was
finally going down. At that point, Snape had to 
maintain his cover as a Spy. 

In a sense, he had to  create /plausable deniability/. 
When questioned about his actions, he had to be able to
convincingly say he acted like a DE, but at the same time,
he had to do it in a way that did little or no harm. So,
in stunning Flitwick, he acted like a DE. He could 
fairly say that he stunned Flitwick to keep him out of
the fight and sway the advantage to the DE's. 

On the other hand, he also needed a diversion for Luna
and Hermione. He certainly did not need them tagging 
along behind him. There may have been a small element 
of desire to truly protect Flitwick. Once Snape comes
on the scene, events are controlled very tightly. The 
other DE's seem to quickly yeild to Snape's clear 
authority even though Snape is not involved in the
plan. Snape also acts quickly, and does everything he
can to get the DE's out of the castle as soon as 
possible and with a minimum of fighting. If Flitwick
was there, that just increase the odds of a fight. 

By stunning Flitwick, Snape is actually keeping three
people out of the fight, and thereby keeping them
safe, but it also gives the impression that Snape acted
to the advantage of the DE's which helps maintain his
cover as a Voldemort supporter. 

External to the story, the author also needs to control
the fight. JKR can't have Hermione and Luna running in
and escalating a battle that Snape is trying to 
minimize. JKR essentially needs every person under 
control (pinned down, injured, distracted, etc...) so
that Snape can make his escape and Harry can go chasing
after him without other people getting involved.

I think that purpose is reflected in and echoed by 
Snape's actions. He too is trying to control the fight,
finish the job, and get the DE's out of the castle as
quickly as possible. Both because the Job was done, and
to minimize the death and destruction at Hogwarts.

It is really some masterful writing on JKR's part. At
every turn Snape's ambiguity is re-enforced. We see him
attack Prof. Flitwick, but in doing so, he keeps him
safe, and keeps Luna and Hermione distracted. We see 
signs that he is acting to protect Hogwarts, but we
also see him kill Dumbledore. We see that he does not
actually harm Harry, but on the other hand, he beats
Harry down pretty hard. We see Snape in his greatest
contrast of light and dark, and I think that is exactly
how JKR wanted to leave us.

Just one man's opinion.

Steve/bboyminn