Snape and Harry and expulsion LONG

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 188827

 
> > Alla:
> > 
>  In this chapter Snape says that he is going to bring people who have the authority  to expel Harry and that is what he does, I do not think that it would be too much of filling in the blanks that Snape telling Dumbledore and Minerva about what happen means him wanting them to exercise their authority, IMO of course.
> 
> Pippin:

> 
>  The whole school knew what was going on  -- that would include Dumbledore and McGonagall. I'm sure Snape was searching the grounds with their knowledge and on their orders, and had instructions to report as soon as Harry and Ron were safe. Or don't you think Dumbledore and McGonagall would insist on that?

Potioncat:
Snape is also very good at implying one thing while saying something else. He says he does not have the authority to expel the boys. True. So he only brought it up to torture them a bit. He also says he's going to bring people who have the authority to expel. He does that that --because they do have that authority. Either Minerva or DD could decide to expel them. Becuase in this case, it is not a teacher who has the authority, it is the Head of House. Snape may have been the one who was designated to look for the boys, but it was still Minerva who had the job of punishment.

I would bet the expulsion discussion happened well before the car crashed into the tree. Snape telling McG and DD that he thinks the boys should be expelled carries no weight at all. I'm not sure Harry and Ron have figured that out, but we have.

To get back to what Snape said, imho, he knows the boys won't be expelled, but he's putting it into their minds. He says two true statements. I don't have the authority. I'm bringing the ones who do. He might as well have said, "I'm not an expert at transfiguration, but I'm bringing the ones who are."

Stepping out of the story and looking at the pages of the book---JKR created a character who was committed to protecting a boy that he didn't like; she planned the plot so that for most of the storyline the boy and the readers would see his dislike but not his commitment; and she worked in little hints that he had some other agenda so that some readers began to wonder if he was watching out for Harry.

Having Snape bring up expulsion was a good way to show his dislike. Although I guess this brings back to Alla's question, "Did he really want Harry expelled?" (no, I don't think so, but I think he wishes he could safely expel him.)