Something I noticed on the DH re-read...

[rj_anderson]

You know how Expelliarmus is portrayed as Harry's signature spell, up to and including using it to defeat Voldemort?

Now I know why that "Duelling Club" chapter in CoS was so important. Because that was where Harry first learned of that particular spell.

And he learned it from Snape.

This strikes me as even more interesting now that I've taken a second look at CoS, because Harry doesn't choose to use Expelliarmus right away, not when he's duelling Malfoy. He uses Rictusempra (which sounds interestingly like Sectusempra, doesn't it?). It's not until later that he starts using Expelliarmus -- once he's had a chance to forget who taught it to him.

Ironic, no?

Comments

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Actually, he does know who taught him when he starts using it, IIRC. I noticed on my pre-DH reread that he uses it at the end of CoS, against Lockhart, and says something like "Shouldn't have let Snape teach us that one, should you?"

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Aha! Even cooler. Thanks for the reminder.

[timeheldinsepia.livejournal.com]

I know this is totally off-topic, but I've been looking at your icon of Snape for a few weeks now and it's just hit me who he looks like: He looks like the English actor John Wood. Cool!

Yes, I have time on my hands at the moment... :)

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

There's a very good reason for that -- it's a photomanip of a still from WarGames. I love me some John Wood. :)

[timeheldinsepia.livejournal.com]

I suppose you would understand *IF* I said that as a teenager I had a crush on John Wood after seing "Lady Jane", and that I re-watched "Wargames" just for him?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I suppose you would understand IF I said that as a teenager I had a crush on John Wood after seeing "WarGames" and "Ladyhawke", and that I watched "Lady Jane" and, erm, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (O, the embarrassment) just for him?

AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA THANK GOODNESS I AM NOT ALONE.

My heart is forever blighted that I never got to see him on stage in the Gillette Sherlock Holmes. But alas, I was four at the time.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Prior to DH, I recall specifically tracing part of why I expected and part of why I wanted Snape to be a good guy directly to JKR's setting him up against Lockhart.

That and the white-knuckled grip on the chair when he hears Ginny's been taken.

[robinellen.livejournal.com]

I remembered that (in the back of my mind) -- but more than that, I recall how Snape didn't mean to hurt George and how he avoided killing as much as possible. Though it was risky of Snape to sectumsempra the death eater because everyone seemed to know it was his signature....

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he would have claimed to be aiming at George, and be scathing at the DE for getting in his way?

Expelliarmus (chock full of Spoilage)

[becominghuman.livejournal.com]

I thought it was brilliant how Expelliarmus is the final spell that Harry uses against Voldemort in the final chapter of Deathly Hallows. I thought it was (a) brilliant writing, because it's like using a pawn to defeat an enemy queen in chess, with the added plus of it being Voldemort's richocheting death curse that in fact kills him, and without his want he is powerless to defend against his own evil which is finally flung back into his face, and (b) a nice tribute to Snape, who taught him the spell, and (c) it brings all the uses of the spell back, as a pleasant recall, the club in CoS, The DA-club meetings in OOTP, etc.

W

[cette-vie.livejournal.com]

In addition, it's nice seeing that Harry managed to defeat Voldemort, all the Death Eaters, etc. and survived seven books without AK-ing a soul. That's got to be intentional. I wonder what curse Molly Weasley hit Bellatrix with...