Snape as Neville's teacher (was:Re: Snape as Noble teache...

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 168406

Sandy wrote:
>  
> In fact, I wasn't even thinking about the Sectumsempra  curse. I was
referring to Katie and the necklace and Dumbledore and the ring. 
Others on the list have used these two examples, as well as the
Sectumsempra incident, and the fact that DD wanted Snape after
returning from the cave, to point out that Snape is qualified as a
healer. Since he was effective in three  of the four cases I can't
argue against him having certain abilities to heal.  There is one 
thing, though. In all three of these incidents, the injury or illness
was caused by "dark" magic, if, indeed, Sectumsempra is a dark curse.
 There is no doubt that the poisoned necklace and cursed ring were
dark magic.  Kind of makes you wonder about Snape's healing abilities,
doesn't  it?


Carol responds:

Actually, I place most of the blame on JKR's plot needs. <smile> She
didn't want us to know about Snape's healing skills back in book 1 (or
any other book before HBP). Although I actually agree that most of his
healing skills are related to the Dark Arts, the antithesis of the
Dark spell that they counter and therefore a special branch of DADA, I
should also point out that Snape usually has the appropriate antidote
(say, a deflating draft) on hand in his lessons. Either JKR wanted
Snape to send Neville to the hospital wing (after telling him exactly
what he did wrong) rather than treating the injury himself, or she
hadn't yet thought about having him keep antidotes (which he has
presumably prepared himself in advance) in the pockets of his robes.

However, the teachers and staff members do have specific jobs that
involve more than their teaching duties (for example, Snape brews
whatever potion is needed, or, in HBP, deals with any Dark artifacts
and curses that enter the school or affect the students). So it could
be argued that treating the students is Madam Pomfrey's job, which is
why snape says "Hospital wing, Goyle," when a spell Harry meant to
cast against Draco (causing effects very similar to those caused by
Neville's potion) hits Goyle instead. Probably, he could easily have
cast the countercurse on that occasion, but he's more interested in
restoring order and starting the class.

At any rate, I think it's JKR, not Snape, who in essence sent Neville
to the hospital wing. She's building up her red herring case against
the false villain of that book, after all.

Carol, who agrees that Snape's healing abilities (including antidotes
to poisons) focus primarily on countering the Dark Arts, which is
precisely why he's uniquely qualified to treat DD's horcrux injury,
Katie Bell's necklace curse, and, of course, Sectumsempra