OPEN: Ultimate and Last Bragging Rights by TigerPatronus

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 171322

Shylah wrote:
<big snip--BTW, I agree with most of your answers except those
relating to Horcruxes>

> 9. Where do Snape's ultimate loyalties lie?
> 
> I would have to say Dumbledore's cause.  His actions, even though he
killed, are in direct contrast to the other DE.  It would take someone
as evil as LV, and he stands alone, not to respond to 16 years of
acceptance that Dumbledore handed out.
> 
> If proved wrong, I would like to see Snape sentenced to writing out
textbooks on all he knows.  He might not be too popular but he has a
wealth of info that would be invaluable to the WW.  While I can
stomach his (plot necessary) demise, I cringe at the loss of all that
info going down with him.

Carol responds:

I love this response and agree completely that it would be a shame to
waste all of Snape's valuable knowledge. Alternatively, he could do
public service for St. Mungo's, required to remain there with minimal
compensation until he developed a cure for werewolf bites. But, yes,
he needs to write improved Potions and DADA texts. I'm sure he'd be a
much better teacher in writing than in person.

Shylah:
<snip>
> I think it is Snape who has the other changed patronus and whatever
it is now hinges directly on his loyalties to either side.  He has a
known patronus within the order and no one has gone, aha!.  So I think
the giveaway patronus is yet to come.  To be in any way useful.  His
changed one would have to be related to Dumbledore in some way that's
recognisable and inspires trust.

Carol responds:
I agree again, but I don't quite understand what you mean by "no one
has gone, aha!" Can you clarify?

BTW, someone else in this thread suggested that Snape can't cast a
Patronus against a Dementor. I disagree. Snape has no fear of
Dementors and seems to have been at Fudge's side when Fudge brought
the Denentor into the castle to "protect" him in GoF. Most likely,
Snape's skills as a superb Occlumens protect him against Dementors. I
think his alternative method of dealing with Dementors (the one Harry
argued against in HBP) is either Occlumency (which he still wants
Harry to master) or some method that would be easier for his DADA
students than conjuring a Patronus when they're faced by a Dementor
trying to suck out their happiness, which even Harry found difficult.
(TT!Harry was in no immediate danger when he cast the stag Patronus to
save himself and the others in PoA. The one in OoP was much more
difficult to cast and required all his power, concentration, and
experience.) To return to Snape, I agree that he has been using a
known Patronus to communicate with the Order and will now use a new
one strongly suggestive of Dumbledore to communicate with the Order,
or at least one Order member, who will trust him because of the
Patronus, which, being good magic, can't lie.
>
Shylah:
<snip>
> 
> 3.  Hogwarts does open but on reduced numbers and in regards to the
current climate, classes are more informal and very practical.  All
centering around what they will need to defend themselves and to be on
guard.  A return to normal with exams can come after.

Carol responds:
This response leads me to wonder: Will the attendance be so low and
the classes so small that students from the four Houses are forced to
take classes together? Instead of Gryffindors (at least those in
Harry's year) having Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Potions and
CoMC with the Slytherins, with only fellow Gryffindors in all their
other classes AFAWK, maybe all students from the same year will have
classes together, as they do in the smaller NEWT classes. That in
itself would be a step toward House Unity. ("The Sorting Hat's Last
Song"?)

And another thing. Geoff, or someone else familiar with the British
school system, can you unconfuse me, please? I'm wondering why, in PoA
(which I just finished re-re-re-re-re-reading), the last exam takes
place on June 6 but the kids remain at Hogwarts until the end of June.
Again, in PoA, the kids receive their marks for the year, including
OWL and NEWT results for the Twins and Percy, while they're still at
school. Is that just a fluke (in HBP, IIRC, HRH receive *their* OWL
results at the Burrow about two weeks into July), or is it normal for
kids to stay at a boarding school for several weeks after their last
exam, just waiting around for their exams to be marked? (Exams are
cancelled in several books, including HBP, so it's hard for me to tell
what's normal at Hogwarts and what's determined by the plot of a
particular book.)

Carol, unsure whether the three weeks without classes in PoA are an
inconsistency on JKR's part or a peculiarity of British boarding schools