Apologizing to Snape?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 139111

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "vmonte" <vmonte at y...> wrote:
> Fitz wrote:
> If we put Snape in the example, he would be the bartender who
provided the alcohol to the drunk driver, without knowing that he
would drive a vehicle aftewards, or the construction worker who 
built the bridge according to the instruction of the engineer. Was he 
partly responsible for the death of Lily and James? Perhaps. Was he
themain culprit your post seems to suggest? I think not.
> 
> vmonte responds:
> I see what you are trying to say here but your analogy is not
exactly  right. Snape knew that Voldemort was going to target
someone. So, even if we give him the benefit of the doubt here, 
he would still be responsible for the death of some family somewhere. 
Since Snape was a  DE he may even have possibly known which 
families had thwarted  Voldemort 3 times. I'm guessing that's a
pretty short list that includes Neville and Harry's parents. 

Pippin:

Even Dumbledore was guilty of caring more about the lives of
 people he knows than those of nameless, faceless strangers. So if
Snape did the right thing only when he realized that the victims were
going to be people he knew, he was no worse than Dumbledore.

Unless Snape knew when Harry was going to be born, how could
he know to whom the prophecy would refer? We don't even know
if  James and Lily had already defied Voldemort three times when it 
was given, or if that too was in the future. It was also, according
to Dumbledore, strictly Voldemort's decision whether to believe
the prophecy or not. Snape is not responsible for that at all,
though obviously he must have hoped that Voldemort would 
regard the information as important and reward him for it.


We can also draw an analogy with Draco, who was dismayed 
that Voldemort would use the vanishing cabinets to smuggle
Fenrir Greyback into the school, even though he himself had used
the threat of Fenrir to intimidate Borgin.

According to Dumbledore, Snape, knowing the prophecy, defected.
IMO, that means that  Snape has had to act, for seventeen years, as
if he *didn't* believe the prophecy. If he acted, in thought, word or
deed, as if he did believe it, then Voldemort who doesn't understand 
things like remorse or moral imperatives, but does understand fear and
power, would never  believe that Snape had not left him forever.

 Unfortunately, that means Snape has had to treat Harry the way 
'Severus Snape, secretly unrepentant Death Eater' would treat a 
little, er, powerless person of no regard or importance, who was the
son of a man he undoubtedly hated, a favorite of Albus Dumbledore's, 
and who had taken a dislike to Snape from the start, which he 
expressed by making faces, talking back, refusing to follow 
instructions, and accusing him behind his back of theft and attempted 
murder.( If Harry behaved like that with McGonagall, she'd have had 
him expelled by now. Or quit.)

There is no doubt at all in my mind that Snape enjoys doing this.
But that doesn't mean he does it with Voldemort's welfare in mind.

Now, if Harry were my kid, would I have told him that he should
apologize to Snape for prying in the pensieve? I think I would,
though I wouldn't force him to do it. I would explain that it
wouldn't mean he was conceding to any of Snape's allegations
about his character, just that had indeed behaved wrongly and 
foolishly in this case.

Since Harry already knows this, it's only dropping a childish
charade not to admit it. Now granted, Harry is a child, which
is a more socially acceptable reason for behaving childishly
then chronic immaturity.  And Dumbledore didn't suggest
that he do it, but Dumbledore isn't Harry's mum. I can certainly
hear a "You're as bad as he is" coming from her!

Everyone thinks it's terribly moving when Harry is able to
help the physically crippled Dumbledore, but somehow people are 
revolted  that an emotionally crippled person should need 
aid from a healthy youngster, or, heaven forbid, be allowed to teach. 
But Jo has said she thinks it's important that children understand
that adults have problems too, that they struggle.
 

Pippin