CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets Ch. 5. The Whomping Willow

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 188831

Alla wrote:
> 
> I would argue because he had no chance to pull this off. All Dumbledore needed to do was to legilimence the participants and find out that it was indeed self defense, or at least this is how I interpret hitting back somebody who attacks you with deadly curse. Yes, I know Harry could have used lesser curse, no to me that does not change the fact that Draco attacked him first with bad curse too.
> 
> And I would also say that Snape did not try that because if Snape makes the accusation, Dumbledore hands could have been tied too, but in a different way. I would think that he would have no choice but to expel Draco  together with Harry, and that was something that Snape did not want.
> 
> JMO of course.
>
Carol responds:
Snape had vowed to protect Harry and, as even Quirrell says in CoS, did not want him dead. To expel him at that time would have meant sending Harry right into the DEs' and Voldemort's hands. Later, we see Snape tell the Death Eaters to leave Harry for the Dark Lord, but, of course, he's really just getting them away from Harry and off the Hogwarts grounds.

Carol, who thinks that Snape could have informed the Ministry on this occasion if he so desired, unlike most occasions when he really did not have the power to expel Harry