Two Plot Problems

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 187613

Bart wrote:
> > Because George didn't have Snape to cast the difficult spell to turn the cursed wounds into regular wounds. And, perhaps, because George didn't recover the ear. I can't figure out why they can't make realistic prosthetics, though.

rlevatter replied: 
> I don't know, Bart. You can read the passage yourself. No one is saying, "Sorry, George; too bad Snape isn't here. He's the only wizard smart enough to do this particular bit of magic." They're saying that the nature of the Sectumsempra hex is dark magic that cannot be reversed. At least that's how it reads to me.

Carol responds:
I agree with Bart. Snape invented Sectumsempra, so he must also have invented that complex countercurse. I think he must be the only one who knows it. I'm actually surprised that Molly, who (like Madam Pomfrey) knows nothing about Dark Magic, could even stop the bleeding. I do think that if Snape could have retrieved the ear and been allowed access to George, he could have healed him as easily as he did Draco, but, of course, he never had the chance. (And, of course, they don't mention him except as the caster of the spell. They think he's a bad guy, and, AFAIK, Harry is the only one who's seen Snape cast the countercurse. Most likely, Lupin thinks it's one of those Dark curses mentioned by Hermione in HBP that can't be undone.)

Alternatively, it could just be yet another of JKR's inconsistencies. In HBP, Dittany merely prevents scarring after Snape heals Draco's wounds with his countercurse. In DH, Hermione uses it to stop the bleeding when Ron is Splinched. Admittedly, Splinching isn't Dark magic and she can't restore the chunk of flesh that's missing from his arm; she can only stop the bleeding and make the skin grow back (so Ron probably has a hunk of flesh missing even in the Epilogue unless it somehow grew back!), but, still, it's not consistent.

Personally, I think that the "Snape isn't there" explanation works fine to resolve the seeming inconsistency in the case you mention, but other inconsistencies (I have yet to encounter a convincing explanation for Ron's knowing about Draco's Hand of Glory of the Charlie Weasley problem) remain inconsistencies. I guess it's up to the reader to find a resolution that satisfies him or her. Admittedly, that in itself is a flaw in the books. If the author herself can't catch it, an editor should have called her attention to it.

Carol, not trying to convince you, just expressing her own views on the matter