James' Life Debt To Snape?

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 35800

cindysphynx wrote:
> One more quickie thing.  In PoA, in the Shrieking Shack, Snape 
> explodes at Harry thusly:
> 
> "Like father, like son, Potter!  I have just saved your neck; you 
> should be thanking me on bended knee!  You would have been well 
> served if he'd killed you!  You'd have died like your father, too 
> arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black."
> 
> I hope this isn't a dumb question, but are we all agreed that this 
> means that Snape saved James Potter's life and Snape is miffed that 
> James never appreciated it?  Does it mean that Snape gave James 
> information that Black was a spy, but James disregarded it?  Am I 
> reading this wrong or something?

Imho, I don't think that the quoted passage absolutely supports 
this.  "Like father, like son" as well as "I have just saved your 
neck" both could (and in my opinion, do) refer to "too arrogant to 
believe you might be mistaken in Black."  I.e., both father and son 
were too arrogant to think they could be wrong about Black; Harry 
could have been betrayed and killed by Black, just like his father; 
however, unlike in his father's situation, Snape came along and 
rescued him, 
so Harry should be thanking Snape for saving his life.

Imho, for the passage to indicate, as you theorize, that Snape saved 
James' life just like Snape has 'saved' Harry's life, there would 
have to be a more A-to-B connection.  In fact, considering Snape's 
rage at that moment plus being on a talking himself up rant, I think 
if Snape *had* saved James's life in the past he would have thrown 
that factoid at Harry instead of the comparatively less 
stunning "you're an idiot for trusting Black like your father did."  

And the fact that Snape *didn't* outright mention having saved 
James's life at this moment when it would have been incredibly 
opportune to do so actually has had me convinced for a while now that 
Snape never saved James's life, secretly or overtly.

As always, I could be wrong.  :P  But that's my thought.

Mahoney