Severus Snape: Good, Bad, or Just a Coward???

Severus Snape
Shrimpy - I wondered the same thing, but if you read the books carefully you'll find that there are many inconsistencies from one book to another, and although the author takes care to show that the unforgivable curses act instantaneously, this is a case in point. Or it may be that Dumbledore himself is so extremely magical that the effect is slower; this would provide the necessary few seconds longer for Harry to remain under the petrificus totalis spell while the others get away and leave him by himself.

Actually, there is another fairly large inconsistency between books 5 & 6. If I remember correctly - and I have just finished listening again to the whole series on tape - Draco has nothing to do with the Room of Requirement beyond tripping Harry up as he leaves. Marietta spilled the beans to Umbrage, and Pansy Parkinson rushed in and got the membership list, but Draco didn't find the Room on his own at any time. So Harry's reasoning that he could open it if Draco could, is faulty.

Rowling could have done with a slightly more eagle-eyed editor on the lookout for such gaps and confusions, and although it can be fun to find these things and wonder about them, they make no difference to the enjoyment of the stories; the books are still great.

Severus Snape
Well, if Snape, Draco, and Percy turn out to help Harry the whole logical framework of the story falls apart. It's evil vs good, and nothing in the behavior of any of them indicates any recognition of good. Snape is a vindictive monster; Draco is a weak snob, and Percy is simply a mean-spirited jerk.

But what about Wormtail? In the end of Book 3, where Harry is berating himself for letting Wormtail escape, Dumbledore makes a big point of saying that Wormtail may yet help Harry, because he is under an obligation to him, Harry having saved his life in the Shrieking Shack. Wormtail certainly didn't help Harry in the graveyard when Voldemort returns, and he creeps around Snape's house, miserable and weak, but there's still time for him to take some kind of decent action.

Re: Severus Snape


Interesting--I'll have to go back and read 'em again as well (I was planning to do that anyway this summer, in anticipation of Book 7!). But I'm wondering: is the above an example of plot inconsistency, or is it just as you described it--faulty reasoning on Harry's part? As it turns out, he doesn't manage to open the Room of Requirement anyway. Might Harry have simply been surmising incorrectly?

I'm greatly interested in the Wormtail thread as well. Something is bound to happen in Book 7... that line in Book 3 is just too enigmatic for Rowling to throw away!

Severus Snape
Actually, I think Harry's reasoning isn't faulty; his premise was wrong, i.e. that Draco had succeeded in opening the Room, in connection with the DA meetings. Obviously, Draco has managed to get in, but it might not have had anything to do with the use of the Room for the DA Fred and George knew of it, so other students might have passed the directions on. Possibly Draco's father knew of it...

Re: Severus Snape

Ive said that EXACT THING all along!

Severus Snape is an important character in the epicural machinations of the tale.

Neither too evil to be blamed, nor too good to be a pariah.

Part of the parcel, really.

Re: Severus Snape


Mr. malfoy is in jail, how would he tell draco about it?

Severus Snape
Lucius Malfoy could have told Draco at any time - the Room of Requirement existed long before the Ministry fight.

if that was the case, they would have found it much easier to find the d.a. meetings

Severus Snape
Yes, but Draco et al had no idea that the DA meetings were going on. So he had no reason to try and get to the Room on that score, anway.

o. i see. that makes sense.

New theory. What if Voldy was still makin his hocruxes when he killed Harry's parents? Voldy said in one of the books (ootp???)"Your mother was a fool. She neednt have died.........." But she DID die, bcause Voldy needed to get to Harry, and she was in the way..........

umm, i have no idea what your talking about

i mean i know she died and all that and voldemort did say something like that, but what are you getting at

I'm sayin that he said that because he only needed to kill 2 people, not 3, because he had killed 4 people, but he needed to kill 6, do u understand??

and that this could possibly mean harry is a horcrux because Voldy was makin a horcrux that night, and OBVIOUSLY things didnt go as Voldy planned.

from the moment i heard about horcruxes i assumed that harry was one, that's why voldemort doesn't want anyone else to kill him, voldemort needs to destroy him to get the piece of his soul back

You make a good point. But I dont think that Harry will die. OOOOOH YEAH!!!!! Hey, you know how the diary from book2 was a horcrux??? Well Harry destroyed that, and it was still intact!!! Maybe Harry van kill the horcrux part of him, and still live!!!