Wand Lore / Luna / Alchemy

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 181678

a_svirn wrote:
> <snip> Dumbledore deliberately put Snape in the way of the two
powerful wizards who might decide to go after the wand. Both of whom
would be only too likely to try to remove him from their way in the
most drastic manner. <snip> Harry because he already hated Snape with
passion and would likely want to avenge Dumbledore's death. (And he
did try to kill Snape in the aftermath of Dumbledore's murder.) <snip>

Carol responds:
No, he didn't attempt to kill Snape. He twice attempted to Crucio him
and Snape defected the Cruciatus Curse both times. ("No Unforgiveable
Curses from you, Potter!" femember?)

"'Cruc--'

"But Snape parried the curse, knocking Harry backward off his feet
before he could complete it. . . .

"Cruc--" yelled Harry for the second time, aiming for the figure ahead
illuminated in the dancing firelight, but Snape blocked the spell
again" (HBP Am. ed. 602).

In addition to two Crucios, Harry attempts to cast two Stunning
spells, Incarcerus (the binding curse), Impedimenta, Sectumsempra,
Levicorpus, the last of which Snape evidently detects through
Legilimency, as it's a nonverbal spell.

Harry, who can't control his emotions (until the battle with
Voldemort, at which point he's seen Snape's memories and knows he has
to sacrifice himself), can't cast nonverbal spells (except for one
that Snape himself invented, doesn't know Occlumency or Legiilmency,
and has apparently never learned to parry a curse (Snape is not using
Protego, which would deflect the curses onto Harry) defeat Snape, who
clearly *is* a DADA expert?

Readers may think that Harry is a powerful Wizard, but his best spells
are Expelliarmus (taught him by Snape) and Expecto Patronum (useless
against Snape). In pursuing both Bellatrix (OoP) and Snape (HBP), he
attempts to cast Crucios, but he never attempts to kill either of
them. Nor would he have succeeded if he had tried since he doesn't
know nonverbal spells, and at the first syllable, Snape (or Bellatrix)
could use Expelliarmus and knock the wand out of his hand (or Stun him
before he got the words out). We see almost his whole repertoire in
"the Flight of the Prince," and he's no match for Snape.

Snape, in contrast, *is* a powerful Wizard, who clearly shows that he
can wipe the floor with Harry in a duel. Imagine if he had fought
back, as Harry screamed at him to do. Instead, he casts what appears
to be a very powerful Stinging Hex to end the duel, effectively
incapacitating Harry.

Carol, pretty sure that Snape could handle himself against Harry,
making sure that neither of them was seriously injured, and that DD
knew it