How did Sirius lure Severus into the Willow? (was: James the Berk?)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 106317

<Beginning of post snipped>
Kneasy wrote:
But it wasn't [i.e., the backlash wasn't "epic"], for one reason - DD
hushed it up. And this leads on to the most unbelievable bit
of all - Snape kept his mouth shut. He told no-one what had
happened. Given what we know about Snape, is that credible?
He has information that would get Lupin, Sirius, James, Peter
and DD into really serious hot water and he'd probably end up
looking like a hero to concerned parents - and he does nothing.
 
How did DD 'persuade' him to co-operate? Threaten to expel him?
Wouldn't work - it would give Snape even more incentive to pop
round to the Daily Prophet offices to offer an exclusive - "Cover-up
at Hogwarts! DD expels pupil whose sole concern was the safety
of fellow students! Board of Govenors to investigate!"
 
Neri responded:
You forget one thing. James did run after Severus and saved his life. 
Snape belittles this in the Shack (in PoA), but we know that as late 
as SS/PS Snape had still considered himself in debt to James. So the 
shaken 16 yrs old Severus, who had just saw Death in the form of a 
full-blown werewolf and was dragged back by James, is likely to see 
it this way even more. Or perhaps it was DD who gently but surely 
pointed this to him, in the best of DD's style.
 
Carol adds:
I think Neri is on the right track here, but I would add that Severus'
fear of humiliation is probably the crucial factor. I think Dumbledore
probably pointed out to Severus that if he revealed what he knew, not
only would the whole school (and probably the WW) know that he had
been tricked by Sirius Black, they would know that his life had been
saved by the even-more-hated James Potter, to whom he now owed a life
debt. So whatever Sirius's punishment would have been, probably
expulsion, James would have been viewed as a hero and he, Severus, as
a helpless victim. Tempted as he must have been to get revenge by
revealing Sirius' perfidy and Lupin's condition, I think the fear of
having the wizarding world know that he was dragged to safety by the
"heroic" James kept him silent for twenty long years (especially since
he also believed, perhaps rightly, that James had been in on the
prank, too, but got cold feet and did not deserve to be viewed as a hero).

Nevertheless, I think Snape is still trying to pay off that life debt
(which he didn't succeed in doing in SS/PS because of Hermione's
interference), as well as trying to keep Harry from endangering his
life needlessly because he's the key to destroying Voldemort. Snape is
not trying to keep Harry out of Hogsmeade to be nasty, for example.
He's trying to prevent him from being murdered by his own old enemy,
Sirius Black, whom he has every reason to believe is capable of
murder. His efforts to prevent Harry from going to the MoM are even
stronger evidence that his desire to save Harry's life (and end the
life debt) did not end with SS/PS. (Ironically, in OoP, he tries to
prevent Sirius from going to the MoM as well, advice that would have
saved Sirius' life had he heeded it but would have earned Snape
neither recognition nor gratitude.)

Of course Snape's primary motivation in protecting Harry in all these
instances is the war against Voldemort, but I think his resentment of
James, and his desire to finally triumph over him, is still
smoldering, too. IMO, he'll never be at peace until he personally and
unequivocably saves Harry's life and receives the recognition that his
silence denied to James. That, I think, is why he was so disappointed
not to receive the Order of Merlin First Class in PoA and so furiously
reluctant to believe that Sirius was not a murderer.

Carol, realizing that the second and third paragraphs are somewhat
speculative but hoping that the first, at least, presents an
explanation worth considering