(no subject)
A couple more notes on HBP (okay, a page and a half of notes - spanning about a chapter of HBP!)
So, I thought last night it's not that straight forward - Snape can't have just killed Dumbledore for Malfoy's sake. There must be something else. So I skipped back, to page 542 [Australian/UK version], where Dumbledore is struggling through Hogsmeade with Harry, and they're about to meet Rosmerta.
Harry says the need to get up to the castle, that Madame Pomfrey can help Dumbledore. Dumbledore says "It is Professor Snape I need", and we assume that it's because, well, he's got awesome powers [DUH]. But, are we to assume that he can tell what a potion is just by looking at the taker? It's happened in the past, hasn't it? Again, Dumbledore presses for Snape ("I need Severus..." pg542), and again we're just supposed to assume he'll know what it is.
Before the Death Eaters arrive, Dumbledore tells Harry to "Go wake Severus, tell him what has happened + bring him to me. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else + do not remove your cloak." (pg545) Dumbledore's either trying to get him out of the way, or he's sure Snape will know what's up.
So, if he does know what it is by looking at Dumbledore, up at the tower wouldn't he also know? Is Dumbledore really that misguided to think he has that much time before they are found at the Tower? Or does he overestimate his strength?
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Another couple of notes: Malfoy didn't know Snape was awake, so we can assume none of the other death eaters did. Hermione went to wake him up [is this right?]. However, Snape took a long time getting up after the Death Eaters, especially when he didn't need to have fought them, and when the Order thought he was on their side, so he didn't have to fight them either.
*cough* My argument was a lot sounder last night...
So. Moving on to the actual scene. Snape gets through the barrier, and looks around at everyone. Remember when in the first book he reaches out to Harry in his invisibility cloak? And when he gets his leg stuck in the stair? I reckon Dumbledore told him about the cloak, or he knows about it somehow. Snape must have realised - one look at Dumbledore would tell you he's dying [slipping down the rampant etc] - someone else was up there, and who else would Dumbledore trust to take with him when they went out? I mean, he'd just seen most of the Order downstairs, and if HP was around, he'd be in the thick of it, battling off six death eaters. Instead, he's nowhere to be found, and there are two brooms with Dumbledore.
Also, remember how Harry could never close his mind to Snape? Perhaps he probed around and "felt" Harry's mind? that's a bit iffy.
So, then, he knows Harry's there. Or he thinks he is. But Snape can't say anything because obviously, he's surrounded by Death Eaters. He's known since the beginning that he knew what Draco was supposed to do [Kill Dumbledore], and we've known he's promised to do it since the second chapter. I can't quite remember right now, but he was quite definite about it. Anyway, so he's realised what he has to do, and you know, maybe he doesn't like Dumbledore, sure. But still, this man has defended him for the past, what, 17 years, and he's trusted him. I think it's fair to say that Snape doesn't hate him.
Dumbledore pleads. We aren't told what about, which makes me wonder whether they've been conversing secretly (MIND!TRIKS!), or if it's just because HI HE'S OBVIOUSLY DYING ALREADY. Kind of like the mercy shot in Joan of Arc. That's what I thought at first, and that's nice, yeah? Saving your friend from a fricking long death, yeah? So, yeah, they gaze at each other, could be more Occu...whatever, or they could just be, you know, normal mind talking. Like you or I do, it's very obvious to read people's faces and eyes sometimes.
Snape has no hangups about using Avada K..., obviously, for he doesn't stutter during the word, and he doesn't shudder or any of that. They're obviously old friends, him and the spell. He hesitates, however.
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Snape protects Draco - even though Draco hates him for trying to "steal" the spotlight (around pg540), Snape is probably losing his patience with Draco by now (remember the Christmas party?). He has sworn to protect him from harm - if he can (pg 41), and we can assume that this "harm" could extend to killing someone? His soul would split. That's harm.
The only emotion Snape actually shows, throughout the whole killing sequence, is on pg562, when Harry calls him a coward -> why? pg564. It's really odd. I mean, why bother being called a coward if you've just killed a man who sheltered you for 17 years? And if you're on the run from the Order? Surely you'd just laugh and get away, and then you'd plan your revenge. But, my idea from it all is that he's good, and so being called a coward when he's just committed the bravest act he's ever had, is very painful. I think that's the reason he turned around.
All in all, the way Snape stops and talks to Harry when he's leaving is odd - it explains the story, yes, but it's not a very "baddie" thing to do. Go away, and then gloat. Or get another character to explain. She didn't NEED Snape to explain that, except to give him that hesitation time.
Whatever. Maybe that's just all dribble. XD
So, I thought last night it's not that straight forward - Snape can't have just killed Dumbledore for Malfoy's sake. There must be something else. So I skipped back, to page 542 [Australian/UK version], where Dumbledore is struggling through Hogsmeade with Harry, and they're about to meet Rosmerta.
Harry says the need to get up to the castle, that Madame Pomfrey can help Dumbledore. Dumbledore says "It is Professor Snape I need", and we assume that it's because, well, he's got awesome powers [DUH]. But, are we to assume that he can tell what a potion is just by looking at the taker? It's happened in the past, hasn't it? Again, Dumbledore presses for Snape ("I need Severus..." pg542), and again we're just supposed to assume he'll know what it is.
Before the Death Eaters arrive, Dumbledore tells Harry to "Go wake Severus, tell him what has happened + bring him to me. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else + do not remove your cloak." (pg545) Dumbledore's either trying to get him out of the way, or he's sure Snape will know what's up.
So, if he does know what it is by looking at Dumbledore, up at the tower wouldn't he also know? Is Dumbledore really that misguided to think he has that much time before they are found at the Tower? Or does he overestimate his strength?
-
Another couple of notes: Malfoy didn't know Snape was awake, so we can assume none of the other death eaters did. Hermione went to wake him up [is this right?]. However, Snape took a long time getting up after the Death Eaters, especially when he didn't need to have fought them, and when the Order thought he was on their side, so he didn't have to fight them either.
*cough* My argument was a lot sounder last night...
So. Moving on to the actual scene. Snape gets through the barrier, and looks around at everyone. Remember when in the first book he reaches out to Harry in his invisibility cloak? And when he gets his leg stuck in the stair? I reckon Dumbledore told him about the cloak, or he knows about it somehow. Snape must have realised - one look at Dumbledore would tell you he's dying [slipping down the rampant etc] - someone else was up there, and who else would Dumbledore trust to take with him when they went out? I mean, he'd just seen most of the Order downstairs, and if HP was around, he'd be in the thick of it, battling off six death eaters. Instead, he's nowhere to be found, and there are two brooms with Dumbledore.
Also, remember how Harry could never close his mind to Snape? Perhaps he probed around and "felt" Harry's mind? that's a bit iffy.
So, then, he knows Harry's there. Or he thinks he is. But Snape can't say anything because obviously, he's surrounded by Death Eaters. He's known since the beginning that he knew what Draco was supposed to do [Kill Dumbledore], and we've known he's promised to do it since the second chapter. I can't quite remember right now, but he was quite definite about it. Anyway, so he's realised what he has to do, and you know, maybe he doesn't like Dumbledore, sure. But still, this man has defended him for the past, what, 17 years, and he's trusted him. I think it's fair to say that Snape doesn't hate him.
Dumbledore pleads. We aren't told what about, which makes me wonder whether they've been conversing secretly (MIND!TRIKS!), or if it's just because HI HE'S OBVIOUSLY DYING ALREADY. Kind of like the mercy shot in Joan of Arc. That's what I thought at first, and that's nice, yeah? Saving your friend from a fricking long death, yeah? So, yeah, they gaze at each other, could be more Occu...whatever, or they could just be, you know, normal mind talking. Like you or I do, it's very obvious to read people's faces and eyes sometimes.
Snape has no hangups about using Avada K..., obviously, for he doesn't stutter during the word, and he doesn't shudder or any of that. They're obviously old friends, him and the spell. He hesitates, however.
-
Snape protects Draco - even though Draco hates him for trying to "steal" the spotlight (around pg540), Snape is probably losing his patience with Draco by now (remember the Christmas party?). He has sworn to protect him from harm - if he can (pg 41), and we can assume that this "harm" could extend to killing someone? His soul would split. That's harm.
The only emotion Snape actually shows, throughout the whole killing sequence, is on pg562, when Harry calls him a coward -> why? pg564. It's really odd. I mean, why bother being called a coward if you've just killed a man who sheltered you for 17 years? And if you're on the run from the Order? Surely you'd just laugh and get away, and then you'd plan your revenge. But, my idea from it all is that he's good, and so being called a coward when he's just committed the bravest act he's ever had, is very painful. I think that's the reason he turned around.
All in all, the way Snape stops and talks to Harry when he's leaving is odd - it explains the story, yes, but it's not a very "baddie" thing to do. Go away, and then gloat. Or get another character to explain. She didn't NEED Snape to explain that, except to give him that hesitation time.
Whatever. Maybe that's just all dribble. XD