I Finally Read Harry Potter

For four years Teresa has been trying to get me to read Harry Potter. My dad and my sister have been trying to get me to read them for six. And I always have the same response: I’ll read them before the series is over.

This past weekend, at Quinn’s Hot Springs, I was true to my word. I couldn’t bring myself to read the first five books, since I’d already seen the movies, and I hate reading books when I know what happens (except Ender’s Game, I’ve read that like ten times). I never really thought the movies were very good (more like lousy), but the end of the Order of the Phoenix, which was a rather disappointing movie, left me slightly intrigued. So I decided to read the Half-Blood Prince.

Again, I can’t speak to the first five books, but the Half-Blood Prince was excellent. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and a very quick read. I highly recommend it to everyone, and am planning on reading the seventh and final book as soon as Teresa finishes reading it on Saturday.

Is Snape a Traitor?

Warning, Book 6 Spoilers Ahead

In my spare time over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I read it so fast the first time that I definitely missed a few things. But no matter how many times I read the book, I can’t decide whether or not Severus Snape is a traitor to the Order of the Phoenix.

As you probably already know, Snape kills Professor Dumbledore with the Avada Kedavra curse at the end of Prince. Then he takes off with a bunch of death eaters, including Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore trusted Snape, who turned spy for the Order of the Phoenix a few months before Lord Voldemort disappeared while attempting to kill Harry Potter.

There are several points on each side of the is he or isn’t he? debate.

Snape could be a traitor because:

• The whole book contains foreshadowing of death and betrayal.
• Dumbledore says, “I make mistakes too, Harry. Although being rather cleverer than most, my mistakes are proportionately bigger.”
• Snape has always been very cruel to Harry when nobody is looking. More so than any teacher really ought to be, even to a student they dislike.
• Snape made an unbreakable vow to Draco Malfoy’s mother, promising to help him kill Dumbledore.

Snape might not be a traitor because:

• Dumbledore has always talked about death as the last great adventure, not something to be feared. It’s possible he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to get Snape close to Voldemort
• After Snape kills Dumbledore, Harry catches up with him. He and Harry duel, but Snape does not curse him. Yes, Voldemort wants Potter for himself, but Snape could have used the Cruciatus or Imperius curse on him for the Death Eaters’ benefit. Instead, he uses the moment as a teaching experience to show Harry the importance of casting his dueling spells nonverbally, albeit with a great deal of spite.
• Dumbledore must have had very solid evidence to trust Snape. Yes, he always tried to see the good in people, but he was not a fool. We don’t yet fully know the reason why Dumbledore chose to let Snape into the Order.
• Snape and Dumbledore were overheard arguing about Snape not wanting to do something. “You agreed to do it and that’s all there is to say,” says Dumbledore. It could be about anything, but could possibly be about their plan to kill Dumbledore.

But I will officially reserve my judgment of Snape until book 7. Now if Ms. Rowling would just write it.

One last note. Has anyone else noticed how very close Avada Kedavra is to the “magic word” Abracadabra? Do you think maybe that Muggles developed that word because of having heard a wizard’s killing curse at one time or another throughout history?