Life Debt -- Problem

[sachmet96]

No: HPFGUIDX 83005

Yahtzee

> Snape, who has no idea that James can turn into a stag, is unlikely 
to follow 
> some strange animal to safety; also, Sirius has said that, upon 
turning into 
> animals, Animagi's minds become less distinct and focused. It's not 
at all 
> clear that Prongs would retain the mental capacity to gauge the 
risk and act 
> accordingly.
> 
> Also, if James and Snape were together and Werewolf Lupin attacked, 
James 
> changing into Prongs would be the same as condemning Snape to 
certain death. 
> Given Snape's profound dislike and distrust of James, it seems that 
a few quick 
> shouted words would have been insufficient to deter Snape from his 
purpose -- 
> particularly if they only served as the precursor to James' 
transformation. Upon 
> seeing his enemy do something strictly illegal, what are the 
chances Snape 
> would run? Zero. Rather, he would be MORE inclined to stay around 
and 
> investigate, which James would know about him. And that, of course, 
would have killed 
> Snape.
> 
> Therefore, in order to have any chance of saving Snape at all, 
James would 
> have to have been committed to staying in his human form at least 
until Snape 
> had been gotten to safety. The risk he took was therefore real, and 
the life 
> debt incurred had to be genuine.

sachmet96:
I don't agree there. James could get in as a human but he could 
always change into a stag when it got to dangerous (so there was no 
risk for him). Actually changing into a stag would have been logical 
(and safe for him) as he would have been able to hold Lupin down (as 
stated in the books Sirius and James were big enough animals to do 
that). So Snape would see the human James who turns - if it gets to 
risky for him - into an animal and then Snape would have no reason to 
not follow him.
I still can't see any risk James took that would lead to a life debt 
if a life debt means to save someone's life at the risk of the own.