The AK (was: My HBP Review)

[Jim Ferer]

Constance: "Furthermore, Harry's curse didn't relax until after
Dumbledore went over the parapet. If the AK had killed him outright,
the curse would have relaxed then. The AK did not kill Dumbledore."

We don't know any such thing. Here's the quote:

«A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit
Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Harry's scream of horror never left
him; silent and unmoving, he was forced to watch as Dumbledore was
blasted into the air: for a split second he seemed to hang suspended
beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backwards, like a
great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight. Harry felt as
though he too were hurtling through space; it had not happened. . . .
It could not have happened. ... "Out of here, quickly," said Snape. He
seized Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the
door ahead of the rest; Greyback and the squat brother and sister
followed, the latter both panting excitedly. As they vanished through
the door, Harry realized he could move again.»

That doesn't say Harry's immobilization lifted only later. Harry
*realizes* that what was holding him was horror and shock.  We have
never heard of an AK, unmistakably uttered, with a blast of green
light, hitting someone – and it's a fake.  We've just made up
something new if we do that.

Draco thinks his job is to kill Dumbledore.
« Malfoy gave a harsh laugh. 'You care about me saying "Mudblood" when
I'm about to kill you?'»

 What was Draco's mission, to scare him? If Snape is unbreakably bound
to carry out his mission, he has to kill Dumbledore.  He had to know
it or guess it when he made the Vow, too. Either he knew or he isn't
as smart as we thought he was.

I'm convinced there is no wiggle room for Snape without inventing
something.
Jim Ferer