Two Plot Problems

[mcrudele78]

No: HPFGUIDX 187616

> > Bart wrote:
> > Because George didn't have Snape to cast the difficult spell
> > to turn the cursed wounds into regular wounds. <snip>

 
> > rlevatter replied:
> > <snip>
> > 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 responded:
> 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. <snip>


Mike adds:
I think it's a little of both. Snape himself calls his Sectumsempra curse "dark magic" when he confronts Harry after healing Malfoy. And I also think that Snape alone knows the specific counter-curse for this spell. That doesn't mean that a regular old healing spell won't work, it just won't work as well or as completely. 

So while Molly, or some other halfway descent healer, could stop George's bleeding after a fashion, they can't completely counter the "dark magic" of the spell. Since "dark magic" was never well defined, it's hard to say what they can't counter or how a spell is imbued with dark magic. But according to it's inventor, Sectumsempra is dark magic.

That's the way it reads to me. :)



> Carol responded:
> Most likely, Lupin thinks it's one of those Dark curses mentioned
> by Hermione in HBP that can't be undone.)

Mike:
I think Lupin knows its Snape's curse. His statement about Snape being famous for it implies some history there. So I would think that Lupin has seen Snape cast it in the past and has seen someone do some amount of healing on the resulting cuts. In fact, in the manner in which Lupin raises the subject, it almost sounds as if Snape invented this and tried it out at school on someone. 

But being the inventor, I'd bet that Snape knew how much power to put behind it - how hard he concentrated, maybe mixed with his actual intent - so as to not cause too much damage, only just enough to get his point across. That Sev was a clever boy, and the little note in the HBP's book that said "for enemies" hints that possibly one James Potter and one Sirius Black were driving forces for the invention of this spell. That's why I think it was a school invention and that's where I think Lupin gained a context for what kind of a spell it was.



> JLyon:
> I thought that Trelawney's statement implied that Snape was with
> Bumbles the whole time or, at least, throughout the whole prophesy.

Mike:
I thought she was pretty clear. She thought she had dozed off, when she was actually delivering the prophecy. When she came out of the trance, when she thought she woke up, she heard a commotion at the door and then the door burst open to reveal Snape and Aberforth. Albus was in the room the whole time.

In my reading, when Dumbledore said he was getting up to leave, I pictured him half way to the door when Sibyll starts delivering the prophecy. He stops, turns around and watches, but he's close enough to the door to hear the commotion going on outside to know about when it starts in relation to where Sibyll is at. He's pretty sure that Snape only got this first part, but that's not going to stop him from questioning Snape on the windswept hill about how much he told to Voldemort.

Pre-DH, I too had thought that possibly DD and Snape were in cahoots prior to the prophecy, but DH put the kibash on that theory. That doesn't mean that I think DD was completely honest about that night, but as Mila said: " it's just one of those half-lies DD is so good at :-)."

Mike