[HPforGrownups] Did Snape have a life debt to James?

[Richelle Votaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 42344

John McCutcheon writes:

> I was wondering what people thought about this.  Since James saved
> Snape from the Willow tree, did Snape owe James like Pettigrew owes
> Harry? Several different people stated James saved Snapes life
> throughout a couple of the books.  Maybe that's another reason he
> hated James.  Maybe it's why Dumbledore trusts him.  Who knows?  Any
> thoughts on this would be appreciated, Thanks.

I know others have expressed their views on this, but I'll jump in here with
mine.  Dumbledore did say (in so many words)  that Snape owed his life to
James, thus wanted to save Harry to repay it and go back to hating James in
peace.  But here's my view on the matter.  *James* saved Snape from Sirius'
prank.  Not Harry.  James is dead.  Snape may well have tried to save James
from Voldemort by spilling the beans to Dumbledore.  But it didn't matter in
the long run, Voldemort found them, thanks to Peter, and James died.
Snape's life debt to James can *never* be repayed.  He's still got it
hanging over him.  Which I think is why he keeps sticking his neck out to
save Harry.  I mean basically every time Harry's in a jam Snape shows up.
Other show up to (like Dumbledore and McGonagall with Moody/Crouch Jr.) but
Snape is there too.  He's trying to get that life debt off of his mind, but
it keeps hanging there.  Saving James son is good, but not the same, since
the life debt was to James, not Harry.

Richelle