Two Plot Problems

[zanooda2]

No: HPFGUIDX 187604

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "rlevatter" <rlevatter at ...> wrote:


> So the question is, if Snape was sent away after Trelawney 
> began but before Trelawney finished her divination to 
> Dumbledore, how did she know about Snape? 


zanooda:

I don't see much of a contradiction here. DD never said *when* exactly the eavesdropper was sent away, only that he was discovered shortly after the prophecy started *and* thrown out of the building. What if Snape was detected "a short way into the prophecy", but thrown out later :-)? 

After being caught at the door by Aberforth, Snape certainly couldn't hear the rest of the prophecy, even if he was still at the door. Knowing Aberforth, I'm sure he didn't take the eavesdropping thing  kindly at all :-). I suppose there was a lot of shouting (commotion, in Trelawney's words)- Abe accusing Snape of spying, Snape trying to talk his way out of this mess etc. 

Meanwhile Trelawney finished the prophecy and came out of her trance, Dumbledore opened the door to see what was going on out there, and only *then* was Snape thrown out of the Hog's Head. This way Snape only heard the beginning of the prophecy, but Trelawney still had a chance to see him.

As for why DD didn't tell Harry all these details - I think that he was afraid Harry would ask uncomfortable questions if he knew the whole picture. When DD says that the eavesdropper was caught before the end of the prophecy and thrown out, it sounds as if he didn't actually see the eavesdropper, so Harry has no reason to ask who this was. Technically it's not a lie, it's just one of those half-lies DD is so good at :-).