GoF CH 27-29 Post DH look

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 182150

> GoF:
> "If Snape hadn't held me up," Harry said bitterly, "we might've got 
> there on time. "The headmaster is busy, Potter... what's this 
rubbish 
> Potter?" Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?" - p.566

> Alla:
> Me too, Harry, me too :-)

zgirnius:
Nice discussion of this moment Alla has offered for discussion. I 
have been following it with interest, but no one has yet offered an 
interpretation which matches mine, so I thought I'd respons to the 
top of the thread. I think the simplest explanation is that Snape 
acted on his own initiative, and very naturally, as any other teacher 
in his position would have, modulo the personal elements that crop up 
whenever he and Potter interact.

The actual scene, again:

> GoF:
> "Move!" Harry shouted at it. "C'mon!"
> But nothing at Hogwarts had ever moved just because he shouted at 
it; he knew it was no good.

zgirnius:
Cannot help but to interrupt with a comment that Harry certainly does 
not apply this insight in what follows...but to resume...

>GoF:
> He looked up and down the dark corridor. Perhaps Dumbledore was in 
the staffroom? He started running as fast as he could toward the 
staircase -

> "POTTER!"

> Harry skidded to a halt and looked around. Snape had just emerged 
from the hidden staircase behind the stone gargoyle. The wall was 
sliding shut behind him even as he beckoned Harry back toward him.

zgirnius:
Whether or not Albus could hear the commotion, I would argue that 
Snape, just behind the door Harry was yelling at, did. And when it 
opened, saw Harry taking off. Naturally, he wanted to know the nature 
of the emergency that had prompted this behavior, so he said...

> GoF:
> "What are you doing here, Potter?"

> "I need to see Professor Dumbledore!" said Harry, running back up 
the corridor and skidding to a standstill in front of Snape 
instead. "It's Mr. Crouch . . . he's just turned up ... he's in the 
forest... he's asking -"

> "What is this rubbish?" said Snape, his black eyes 
glittering. "What are you talking about?"

zgirnius:
Did you all gather from this statement that the emergency was of a 
nature that only Albus could handle? I know I did not, and I have the 
benefit of havig read the rest of the chapter.

> GoF:
> "Mr. Crouch!" Harry shouted. "From the Ministry! He's ill or 
something - he's in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just give 
me the password up to -"

> "The headmaster is busy. Potter," said Snape, his thin mouth 
curling into an unpleasant smile.

zgirnius:
I am sure Snape was delighted to tell Harry this fact, but I see 
nothing wrong with his decision to do so, with or without 
the 'unpleasant' smile. Harry is not giving any good reason why Albus 
should be interrupted, he just keeps shouting that he should.

> GoF:
>"I've got to tell Dumbledore!" Harry yelled.

>"Didn't you hear me. Potter?"

>Harry could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying 
Harry the thing he wanted when he was so panicky.

> "Look," said Harry angrily, "Crouch isn't right - he's - he's out 
of his mind - he says he wants to warn -"

zgirnius:
Here, finally, for the first time in the exchange, Harry starts to 
try and tell *Snape* what is wrong, so Snape could judge whether this 
is a thing to take to Albus, or handle himself. The door opens, and 
Albus steps out.

Someone said the scene would have been totally different if Minerva 
had been in the office instead. I beg to differ. We'd lose a lovely 
scene of Harry shouting at Snape and Snape sneering at Harry, (a loss 
to mourn <g>) but the substance, I do not doubt, would be the same, 
as would be the amount of delay. I base my opinion upon the following 
scene of PS/SS:

> PS/SS:
>"What are you three doing inside?"

> It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

> "We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather 
bravely, Harry and Ron thought.

> "See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as 
though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

> Harry swallowed -- now what?

> "It's sort of secret," he said, but he wished at once he hadn't, 
because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.

> "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He 
received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for 
London at once."

> "He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"

> "Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many 
demands on his time --

> "But this is important."

> "Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of 
Magic, Potter.

> "Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor -- 
it's about the Sorcerer's tone --"

> Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The 
books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick 
them up. "How do you know --?" she spluttered.

> "Professor, I think -- I know -- that Sn- that someone's going to 
try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

> She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

> "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. I 
don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no 
one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

zgirnius:
The staff, like good, competent subordinates, are protective of the 
boss's time. Albus is busy, and will only be interrupted for matters 
that *really* require his attention. In my view, Minerva and Severus 
are both acting in the same waym for the same reasons, in these two 
scenes.