Two Plot Problems

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 187655

alla/malfoydancing wrote:
<snip>
> 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, <snip>

Carol responds:

Even though Portrait!Dumbledore warns Snape not to blow his cover, I think that Harry's interpretation (conveyed via the narrator) is correct and that the spell *was* intended for the Death Eater's wand hand. Otherwise, there's no point in presenting a corrected version in "the Prince's Tale." In keeping with his statement to Dumbledore that he now watches people die only when he can't save them (as was the case with Charity Burbage). Rather than let the DE kill Lupin, Snape saves him by *keeping* his cover and casting Sectumsempra. I think that he wanted his voice to be heard; otherwise, accomplished wizard that he was, he'd have cast it nonverbally. (I still don't see how Lupin could have considered Sectumsempra to be Snape's signature spell, but I'll ignore that for the moment.)

It's most unlikely (IMO) that he was actually aiming at George (who might have been Harry as far as Snape knew and, in any case, could have been killed if the spell missed his ear and hit his brain). My interpretation (and I have no idea whether anyone else shares it) is that the DE heard Snape's voice and swerved out of the way at the last second so that the spell, continuing on its course, hit George's ear instead of the DE's hand.

I think that if Snape had hit his intended target, he would have immediately caught the bleeding DE, escorting him to the ground (as another DE did when his comrade was Stunned), apologized profusely for "missing" Lupin, Summoned the severed hand, and restored it using the countercurse that saved Draco (or, if that's not possible, at least stopped the bleeding, healed the cuts, and saved the DE's life). Either way, they'd both be out of the action long enough to give Lupin and "Harry" (George) a better chance to escape.

Carol, who still doesn't understand how Snape and Portrait!DD could know that the injured "Harry" was George since the Seven Potters chase was not covered in the Daily Prophet