Harry's detention - James saved Snape's life incident

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 135936

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "colebiancardi" <muellem at b...>
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Ladi lyndi <ladilyndi at y...> wrote:
> > Steve  wrote:
> > 
> > So, I'm not absolving anyone of any guilt. Sirius made a young
> > implusive and dangerous choice, and so did Snape. ...
> > 
> > Just trying to keep things in perspective.
 

> > Lynn:
> >  
> > Perspective?  We have to keep things in perspective?  Well, that
> takes all the fun out of it  LOL
> >  
> > I agree with all you said Steve with an addition.  We know that
> Madame Pomfrey takes Lupin over.  For Snape to know where/wonder why
> Lupin goes there, he had to have seen Madam Pomfrey and know that
> whatever was happening was sanctioned by the administration.
> >  
> > Let's face it, Snape isn't stupid and he had to have had a pretty
> good idea that whatever was happening, ...


> colebiancardi:
> 
> but what Sirius did was a crime - something that should have gotten
> him expelled.  ...edit Lupin quote....
> 
> so, Snape COULD have been killed or turned into a werewolf.  And
> James's life was in great danger too, of either being killed or
> turned.  What Sirius did was inexcusable - despite Snape trying to
> get them expelled, there is nothing in the books that has Snape 
> trying to kill any of his classmates in school.  Why DD didn't 
> expell him, I don't know...
>
> colebiancardi

bboyminn:

Why was it a crime? Why was it attempted murder? Sirius didn't throw
Snape to the 'wolves'. Snape went by his own choice and of his own
accord knowing full well that he was acting against the wishes of the
administration. All Sirius did was tell him how to get past the
Whomping Willow. How is that a crime? 

If Snape had minded his own business and followed the obvious rules,
he never would have been in danger. So how does that make Sirius a
criminal? 

Now, don't get me wrong, we all know there was a little more to it
than that. Sirius certainly had a malicious intent in telling Snape
how to get past the Tree. I'm sure he knew the Snape's curiousity
would absolutely make him go into the tunnel, but none the less Snape
made that choice on his own; no one forced him. 

Further, as I already said, we don't know that Sirius intended Snape
to be harmed. Remember, Snape wasn't hog-tied and throw into the
tunnel. If anything the most recent book (HBP) shows us the extreme
nature of Snape's genius and wizardly skills. He was more than capable
of defending himself. True, he still could have gotten hurt; but STILL
he wasn't defenseless either. 

I don't think it's fair to brand Sirius a 'criminal' because Snape
made a foolish and self-serving choice. Don't ge me wrong, Sirius did
a bad thing, he was shortsighted and irresponsible, but in the end,
all he did was convey information; Snape made his own choice to act on
that information, so Snape is never free from blame. 

You are more than justified for being incensed by Sirius's actions,
just as long as you don't paint Snape as a sweet innocent by-stander.
However incensed you may be, I think you are going overboard in
branding Sirius as a criminal in the truest sense of the word. 

Ultimately, there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone, but in
the end, no one was hurt, no one forced anyone to do anything, and
everyone made bad choices. I don't see this as going as far as a
criminal matter, but everyone involved certainly deserved punishment
by the school, and I suspect they got it. Snape's biggest problem is
not that he was almost killed, but that he was made a fool of, and
even worse, rescued by and now indebted to someone he hated. 

Further, Snape's claims of attempted murder are overstated, certainly
there was danger, certainly the possiblity of injury or death existed,
but Snape was NOT defenseless, he had a wand, and he new many many
dark and dangerous spells. I would think that if anyone had a right to
be angry it was Lupin, who in my opinion, was both at the greatest
risk of causing harm, but even more so, at the greatest risk of being
harmed.

So, your righteous indignation is justified, but I think you are wrong
to take it to the extreme of making this a criminal matter and laying
all the blame on Sirius. 

So, exactly to what extent and in what way do you see Snape as being
culpable in this matter? 

Exactly what was Sirius's criminal action? 

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn