HBP - it's that man again, mostly

[Barry Arrowsmith]

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Deja vu.
Or something very close.
Severus Snape takes centre stage - again.

Mind you, I don't mind - prefer it, in fact. SFAIC he's always been  
far and away the most interesting character in the books. Not much  
bothered whether he's a foul triple-crosser or merely a double- 
crosser, a reformed DE who's come in from the cold and now helping to  
bring down the arch-villain. What is intriguing is that after 6 books  
we still don't know.

Oh, most of us take sides: he's a dyed in the wool nasty who should  
be strung up by the goolies (just watch the HPfG board this week for  
some prime foaming-at-the-mouth invective is my estimation) or (my  
preference) a superb actor, a front, and only those in the WW who  
really need to know have  the  faintest idea of what his  game really  
is.

And he's up to his usual tricks - or rather Jo is as his onlie  
begetter and director - in the latest epic volume. Splendidly  
ambiguous he is too. But as usual some of us will find or generate  
enough elbow-room to  be able to form a small cheering section.

DD tells that Malfoy snot that he'd known all  year that Draino was  
after  his  scalp. So who told DD? So far as we know only 4 people  
knew - Voldy, Snape, Cissy and Draco. Place your bets on who told DD.

The climactic scene -  DD doing his "this is a far, far better thing"  
*knowing* that Malfoy won't pull the trigger on his wand and Snape  
stepping up to the plate. There have been posts already speculating  
that Snape was under orders previously placed by DD - quite possible;  
he'd nearly been caught out by one of Sally's baubles already. He's  
playing with fire and there's f a good chance he's gonna get burned  
sooner or later. Snape could have been enjoined to save DD from a  
fate worse than death.

DD drinks a tub full of a Voldy potion. If it's straight poison then  
it ain't very  fast acting. But think. Would Voldy want the thief to  
drop  down dead on the spot? Or to suffer -  perhaps for a long, long  
time. Would Voldy assume that there would be two thieves on that  
tight little island? Probably not. (And why did the phrase "Stole it,  
he did my precious" spring to mind?) Anyway the thief wants water.  
Magical production of water is interdicted, and when anyone touches  
the lake it's Curse of the Zombies time. My nasty imagination  
suspects that DD (or Harry, if they'd succeeded in carrying him off)  
would not become truly dead. To  borrow from LoTR again - think Ring- 
Wraiths. Even though they escape DD knows that this time he's bitten  
off more than he can chew. He *has* to die - and soon. And it is up  
to Snape to administer the coup-de-grace, saving him from something  
worse and only incidentally fulfill his oath to Cissy by giving Draco  
a chance to review his options - a Regulus replay?

One of the new twists in HBP is the concept of bottled memories. I  
was wondering who would do the last book explication if DD died. No  
need to  worry anymore, it'll be DD. And the Keeper of the Bottles?  
Snape. This time think Hari Seldon. Assuming that it all goes to  
plan, of course.

Small niggles.
Who Imperio'd Rosmerta?
Why do we see Tonks wandering the corridors of Hogwarts but SFAICR  
no  other Auror types? And in apparently close proximity to the RoR  
and Draco, too. Enamoured of Lupin - who was undercover among  
Fenrir's friends, who just happens to be in tight with the Malfoys.  
Now if a friendly soul told her that Lupin's life was in her hands  
and she'd better co-operate......
Hmm.

Lots to think about with this latest book.

Kneasy