Could Harry have saved Snape? (was Reacting to DH...)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 178031

> Julie:
snip
>  
> Consider that Snape didn't seem to be dying directly from Nagini's  
>poison (as Arthur was). He was clutching at his throat trying to 
>stop the very copious blood flow which was described. 

Potioncat:
I don't think Arthur was poisoned, he was bleeding just like Snape. 
Harry commented on the amount of blood.  Nagini's venom seemed to 
prevent the wound from healing, rather than killing. But, this is 
from my memory, not a canon review.


Julie:   
> Under these circumstances *could* Harry have helped him? He 
>certainly didn't have any potions on him, nor did Hermione.

Potioncat:
Hermione had dittny--which she used very quickly to stop Ron from 
bleeding. It was in her very big little bag. 

Julie:  
> I suppose you could say Snape wanted to die anyway. And I'll agree 
that I'm not sure he cared much whether he lived. But I still think 
the way the scene was presented implied that both the Trio and Snape 
knew it was too late to save him.

Potioncat:
I don't think Snape wanted to die. I think Snape wanted to live. As 
he was desperately trying to get away from the Dark Lord, he was also 
making attempts to defend himself. He screamed when the snake 
attacked. This was absolutely horrible, and I don't think there's any 
moment in the HP books that is more sinister. By the time Harry and 
Hermione show up, Snape may be resigned to death, or he may be 
determined to give his information to Harry at the cost of death.

As the reader caught up in the events I am furious that neither Harry 
nor Hermione tried to help Snape--even if it wouldn't have worked.  
As a reader looking back, I think JKR was brilliant. Having Harry and 
Hermione freeze, so to speak, made the scene even more shocking, and 
was well within credibility. We even have Hermione obeying the 
teacher by providing a vial for the memories.


Julie:
 There was only time enough for Snape to remove his memories for  
Harry.

Potioncat:
After the shock of DH had worn off, when the list had opened up, and 
someone wrote that Snape was dying from poison, I thought poison 
would have been ironic given Snape's comment to Umbridge,--something 
along the line of, "Unfortunately, most poisons leave very little 
time for truth-telling."  

I agree with Pippin. That neither Harry nor Hermione tried to save 
Snape was tragic.