Cedric, Snape and carma was re: Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban

[jules]

No: HPFGUIDX 190648



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Margaret Fenney <fenneyml at ...> wrote:
>
> > Pippin:
> >
> > Going on the evidence of the books themselves, two teenage 
> wizards could overcome young Snape, so how does that give him 
> > odds against a werewolf?
> 
> 
> 
> Bookcrazzzy:
> 
>  I think it is reasonable to believe that young Snape would have 
> been highly reluctant to use such spells as Sectumsempra on other 
> students but he would not have hesitated to use it or any other 
> spell on a werewolf.
>

Julie:
Canon is what keeps me believing that Snape's odds were not good. Both Dumbledore and Snape believe he could have been killed. Dumbledore says James save Snape's life, and that Snape owes James a life debt. And Snape accuses Sirius of deliberately trying to kill him with the incident. If everyone involved believed that Snape's life was in less danger than Lupin's, wouldn't they say so? Certainly Sirius wouldn't let Snape get away with that claim (at least the part that his life was in actual and serious danger) if it hadn't been true. 

I don't know why Snape's life is in more danger, but I assume 1. That spells may be harder to use against werewolves due to their speed, agility and perhaps ability to withstand most spells to a greater degree (no canon to support this theory, but we know werewolves are stronger and I think there was something in canon about them healing better or quicker?). Certainly wizards are quite afraid of werewolves (hence all the nasty legislation) and I should think that wouldn't be the case if werewolves were easily dispatched with the flick of a wand. And 2. Lupin as werewolf is presently contained in a small space. Perhaps generally the werewolf might just bite his victim and then run off, but Lupin has nowhere to go so his werewolf aggression would continue to seek its outlet on the convenient victim trapped with him--Snape.

Julie