Compass Man 🧭

I never realized why Hermione couldn't just heal Dobby at Shell Cottage like Snape healed Draco. People always assume it's a plot hole because Hermione knows every spell in the book. The real explanation comes down to dark magic mechanics, Bellatrix’s cursed blade, and a spell Snape kept completely secret. Why didn’t Hermione Granger use the same counter-curse to heal Dobby’s knife wound at Shell Cottage that Professor Snape used to heal Draco Malfoy from the wounds Harry Potter inflicted on Draco a year earlier. Because Hermione didn’t know that particular counter-spell. And it probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. Something that probably gets missed by a lot of people , including me for a long time, is that Sectumsempra is not exactly as dangerous as, say, an Unforgivable Curse. It is dangerous… just not the most deadly curse in the world. Think of it like we would compare a pair of scissors to a broadsword or even a deadly magical dagger thrown by the most evil witch of her era. Sure, in its way, scissors can be deadly… but one is more likely to survive a random, un-aimed strike from a pair of scissors, than an intended strike from a dagger designed to do the most damage possible, aimed well by the witch hurling it. So it was with Dobby. It’s almost a certainty that Bellatrix used a cursed blade, likely far more deadly than Sectumsempra, on Dobby, and also nearly as assuredly a curse whose counter wouldn’t have been known to Ms. Granger.

What if Harry Potter actually had a copy of his own story all along, and had to let sad things happen just to save everyone else? He didn’t have a choice - he had to maintain the timelines or risk ripping time, space and reality apart. You see - during his sixth year, he was walking back to the common room when a portal opened and spat out a book. He picked it up and read the title. “HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS” Confused, he started to read, and learned all about his future. He rushed inside, and showed it to Hermione and Ron. But they weren’t convinced - Hermione told him it was a hoax, and Ron was just “meh” because he was still horny for Lavender at this point and that was taking most of his brainpower So Harry left, and went off to read all the rest of the book himself. He finished it, and - after he had read the epilogue - he found a final note. Dear Harry, I know you might be tempted to think that you can change the future - save Dumbledore, Dobby, Remus and Tonks, Fred and the rest. But you can’t. I only sent you this because without it, things would have been much worse, and the world would have plunged into darkness that much sooner and for that much longer. The downside is the future will unfold as you see, but the upside is it will unfold as you see. So run you clever boy, and remember. Yours, A friend. He kept the book secret, and referred to it throughout the following year and a half - ensuring that only those who died in the book died in real life, saving the lives of George, Molly, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and ultimately saving the magical world from a thousand years of rule by The Dark Lord. And he married Ginny, because he knew he must - the book, and a friend had told him so. x——x

What is your favorite Snape quote? To me the best Snape quote is when he is talking to Bellatrix before doing the Unbreakable Vow in Half Blood Prince. Narcissa is coming to Snape to ask him to help her with Draco, but Bellatrix does not trust Snape and is going on and on about why she doesn’t trust him, and how he never has to do anything. She even brings up the Department of Mysteries fiasco and basically calls Snape a coward. These are their exact words from chapter 2 in the book: Bellatrix: no, you were once again absent while the rest of us ran dangers, were you not Snape? Snape: forgive me, you speak of dangers… you were facing six teenagers were you not? This is one of the best clapbacks of all time. After all it was 6 teenagers who use expelliarmus and stupefy; it’s not like any of the Death Eaters were in danger. And even after the Order showed up they are probably more capture than kill, and only kill in self defense. Bellatrix was acting like they stormed the Ministry, and did something important. Snape humbled her and reminded her that not only was her mission far less risky then she would have you believe, but also the mission was foiled by said teenagers. I’m pretty sure it is impossible to hate anyone as much as Bellatrix hated Snape in this moment; especially since at the start of this conversation she learned that Voldemort trusted Snape more than her. I don’t think it’s explicitly stated Voldemort told Bellatrix, so perhaps Bellatrix was told by Narcissa, if that is the case then Snape knowing about it would crush her; since she considers herself the most loyal servant and the only one truly worthy of being under Voldemort. Earlier in the chapter we have the below exchange that shows Bellatrix isn’t as close to Voldemort as she would have us believe, which is why I think she may not have heard about the job from the Dark Lord. She must have been foaming at the mouth when she found out Voldemort told Snape a secret that involved her family, and he did not even bother telling her. “You are avoiding my last question, Snape. Harry Potter. You could have killed him ay any point in the past five years. You have not done it. Why?” “Have you discussed this matter with the Dark Lord?” asked Snape. “He… lately, we… I am asking you, Snape!” A decade in Azkaban couldn’t break her spirit but 10 minutes with Snape did the trick.