Musing on Buckbeak/ Some Crookshanks and Snape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 166246

Alla wrote:
> 
> Oh, of course Buckbeak attacks because Harry is his friend as well
(nods to Ceridwen as well :)).
> 
> I just believe that he also recognised that his friend was attacked
by bad person, hehe.
> 
> Interesting about Croockshanks never behaving in ill manner towards
Snape, actually. I am not sure if that was ever mentioned that 
Croockshanks came to be in close proximity with Snape, or did he?
> 
> I mean, Croockshanks would only react if bad person is close by, did
he not?
>
Carol responds:

First, with regard to Crookshanks, he is in close proximity to Snape
at least twice in the books, once in the Shrieking Shack in PoA and
once in OoP. Crookshanks's hair stands on end for *Wormtail* (PoA M.
ed. 366) and he sinks his claws into *Harry's* arm to prevent him from
attacking Sirius Black (341), also sitting on Black's chest to protect
him from Harry (342-44), but not once does he react to Snape (357-61).
He merely sits on the bed next to Ron (361). However, when Wormtail
appears, Crookshanks starts "spitting and snarling on the bed; the
hair on his back was standing up" (366). There can be no doubt that
Wormtail qualifies as "an unsavoury and untrustworthy character" in
Crookshanks' view.

In the scene where Black and Snape confront each other over the
Occlumency lessons, Crookshanks has just knocked over some chess
pieces when Mrs. Weasley announces that Professor Snape is in the
kitchen to talk to Harry (OoP Am. ed. 519). A few minutes later, while
Snape is still present, Hermione and the Weasleys enter the room
(521). It's not clear whether Crookshanks is with them, but his
reaction is not mentioned, and he's definitely in the house.

I wonder, BTW, whether *Kreacher's* references to "traitors and
werewolves and thieves" might be more relevant as a basis for judging
snape since he would certainly consider Snape as a traitor to the Dark
Lord, in contrast to his adored Bellatrix.

To return to Buckbeak: Although I agree with you that Buckbeak
attacked Snape because Harry is Buckbeak's friend, it's odd that he
didn't attack earlier when the DE was Crucioing Harry. That was a
definite case of an evil person close by--and a friend being hurt--but
no sign of Buckbeak at that point.

As for Buckbeak's recognizing that his friend was attacked by a bad
person, there's no indication either in canon or FB that Hippogriffs
possess any such ability. They seem only concerned, from what we read,
about perceived insults to themselves. 

To switch for a moment to another person you consider bad who is
attacked by Buckbeak, let's look at what happened to Draco in PoA
(again). According to FB, "Bowing shows good intentions." Draco, who
ended up bleeding from Buckbeak's claws (in contrast to Snape, who,
AFAWK, is only chased to the gates), did bow to Buckbeak, presumably
showing good intentions (or at least following Hagrid's directions on
that point) and Buckbeak bowed to him, recognizing those (apparent)
good intentions--at which point Draco brilliantly decided that
Buckbeak wasn't dangerous and it was safe to insult him. FB also says,
"If the Hippogriff returns the greeting, it is safe to draw closer"
(21)--which is not quite the case with Draco, but presumably most
people who know enough to bow to a Hippogriff also know not to insult
them. (Draco, I think we agree, wasn't listening.) From there, FB
talks about the mating habits of Hippogriffs and how long it takes the
egg to hatch, etc.--not a word about being able to "detect unsavoury
or suspicious characters" as Kneazles can (24). Not much help on the
reasons why Hippogriffs attack, which leaves us with Hagrid's
statements that they're "proud" and "easily offended" (PoA 114), which
explains the attack on Draco but not the one on Snape. It's clear,
however, that Buckbeak didn't instantly perceive Draco as "bad" or
instinctively reject his attentions.

Snape has, of course, been in the same house not only with
Crookshanks, as I mentioned earlier, but with Buckbeak (who admittedly
was kept upstairs in his room--surely, he would have been happier with
Hagrid, but misery loves company). We have no indication of Buckbeak's
reaction to snape's presence at 12 GP; probably he neither knew nor
cared that Snape was there. Aside from Crookshanks, who shows no signs
of the behavior he shows with Wormtail--growling, hair standing on
end, etc.--when Snape is nearby, the only other magical indicator of
Snape's trustiworthiness that I can recall is Fake!Moody's Foe Glass,
which shows him, like McGonagall and DD, as an enemy of Fake!Moody.
The real Moody's Sneakoscopes, unfortunately, were all disabled and
don't help us one way or another with regard to Snape. Nor do the
instruments in DD's office appear to include Dark detectors or they'd
have gone off when Fake!Moody was in the office.

To return to the topic at hand, my feeling is that Buckbeak is just
acting on instinct, attacking someone he thinks is hurting Harry (and
he is, but the stinging hex or whatever it is, is short-lived and
nowhere near the intensity of a Crucio) without knowing who the person
is. Also, I think that the attack is possibly the last vestige of the
DADA curse, forcing Snape off the Hogwarts grounds. It also provides
almost comic gratification for the anti-Snape faction to see him
losing his dignity in such a fashion (exit pursued by a Hippogriff).
However, IMO, the whole incident is misleading, presenting Snape as a
villain getting his comeuppance (like Umbridge with the Centaurs). It
ignores Snape's real predicament as fugitive and outlaw, as well as
the mental anguish we glimpse earlier in the scene, which appears to
be a great deal worse than being pursued (but not injured) by a
Hippogriff. To me it seems almost as if Buckbeak's fury, like the
striking clock in the PoA Time-Turning segment, is a signal to Snape
to hurry up and leave. He has ordered the Death Eaters out; now he's
being forced out himself. His career at Hogwarts has ended. He can do
no more as Harry's teacher, only disarm him (with a bit of pain in
retaliation for the charge of cowardice) and run. It's time to return
to Voldemort, to whatever he has to do. 

Carol, who thinks that, however we judge Snape, we should do so based
on his own actions, not Buckbeak's