[HPforGrownups] Two Plot Problems

[malfoydancing at gmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 187654

rlevatter wrote:

> When first used by Harry, inadvertently on Malfoy, Snape controls  
> the damage easily with counterspells and tells Malfoy there will  
> likely be no lasting damage with dittany applied.
>
> Yet when the same spell is used by Snape, inadvertently hitting  
> George, the damage (a severed ear) is  irreversible, because it was  
> "dark magic".



alla/malfoydancing (I'll be lowercase as there's already an Alla):

I agree with the comments on Snape's having an inside knowledge of  
the counter-curse, and on intent: Snape *was* a death eater, deep in  
dark magic before that, and brought to Dumbledore's side reluctantly  
(at first), whereas Harry cast sectumsempra on Draco without even  
knowing what it did. A dark *spell* does not necessarily mean dark  
magic, cf. Bellatrix's comments on having to mean unforgivables.  
Harry does not get to grips with crucio or imperio (the two forms of  
dark magic he does show his ability to use) till book 7, and he's  
still expelliarmusing at the beginning of that (and end...).

In chapter 33 we're told that the sectumsempra was "intended for the  
Death Eater’s wand hand" but "hit George instead". Wouldn't that have  
blown Snape's cover, assuming the death eaters knew it was his spell  
(they might not have, but in his first round as a Death Eater I can  
imagine him going 'Dear Voldemort, I invented this really cool  
curse...')? The fact he attacked a DE could be missed/glossed over in  
the commotion of battle, but actually cutting off George's ear would  
have done his reputation with the DEs a lot more good.

_Unless_ Snape, a master of legilimency and occlumency and with some  
time to prepare those memories (all year), modified/presented a  
particular version of them to Harry to best win Harry's trust — would  
he have done that? I think JKR means us to take the memories of that  
chapter as Absolutely True, but this *is* Snape, and Snape's going to  
be a lot better at presenting memories in a particular way (if not  
fully editing them) than Slughorn.

Is Snape's reputation with the DEs one of being _capable_, or has he  
cultivated a reputation of being rather incompetent in managing  
destruction? The latter would make sense (if not for Snape's ego),  
but Voldemort has a high opinion of him.

alla