First lesson WAS: Re: Marietta, was Slytherin's Reputation

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 185910

> Annemehr
> It's completely possible that he taught Draco the spell himself, in 
> anticipation of having him set the snake on Harry at the club 
> meeting.  Because, if it was supposed to be a big coincidence that 
> Draco just *happened* to send a snake at Harry the parselmouth, then 
> Snape's whispered instructions to Draco are absolutely superfluous to 
> the scene.
> 
> I.E., if it were only an accident that Harry faced a snake rather 
> than something else, what difference would it make whose idea it was?
> 
> So, what was he up to?
> 
> If he was only trying to humiliate Harry, or to deflate his ego a bit 
> (after that flying-car incident, you know), then any jinx would have 
> sufficed, since Harry didn't know Protego.
> 
> The only thing that makes sense is that he was trying a little 
> experiment to see whether he could evoke Parseltongue in Harry (in 
> connection with Dumbledore's plan). Because, DD knew *who* was 
> opening the Chamber; it was Tom Riddle all the time.  And Harry was 
> someone with a connection to Riddle.
> 

Montavilla47:
Interesting, Annemehr.  My own (entirely unsupported) theory is that
Serpentsoria is a spell that Slytherin firsties are traditionally taught by
older students because it's a cool way to conjure up the House Mascot.

Of course, they'd all know how to get rid of it, too.  

But, you're right.  Why bother to have Snape whisper instructions to
Draco here?  Just to be a jerk?   Well, okay, I can buy that (especially
after that House cup switcheroo the previous year) that Snape just
wants to have *his* Slytherin student show up the Gryffindor golden
boy.  But it's more fun to think Snape was doing a bit of sleuthing for
Dumbledore.

<g>