TBAY: Definitely NOT a Snape Theory (long)

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 145035

Great story, thank you for the fun reading it ;).
The only problem for me and for many others may be, that it is full of
"insiders" I simply do not understand - not to speak of all the acronyms.
Ok, after some weeks I worked out most of them ...
So, forgive me to just add some arguments, not another story in response.

nkafkafi wrote:
> "This is all speculation. I told you I don't do speculation." said
> Faith. "I just believe what canon places in front of me. Dumbledore
> told us in SS/PS that James saved Snape's life, that Snape hates it,
> and that he tried saving Harry because it would make him and James
> even.  This isn't theory. It's canon!"

Miles:
As Jen pointed out, Snape paid the Life Debt back, in PS/SS, and in PoA.
So...

nkafkafi wrote:
> "Dumbledore told us in plain words that when Snape heard the prophecy
> he told it to Voldemort. It is only when Snape realized who is the
> *specific* family Voldemort had in his sights that he went to
> Dumbledore and told him the Potters are in danger."
> "Actually, Alla had pointed out that this last detail is not explicit
> canon," commented Neri.
> "Oh, I'm sure she too believes that Dumbledore wouldn't have accepted
> Snape otherwise," said Faith dismissively.

Miles:
Stop! Maybe Alla would believe, but that is not a proof, isn't it?
Alla's objection is correct, so her argument is independent from her or what
she thinks.
You are frowsy at this central point of your... your... THEORY, but I don't
think you should be. We simply don't know whether Snape came back because it
was the Potter's LV tried to find. This is pure SPECULATION. It as well
would fit into the information from canon, that Snape came back when he
realised that LV would try to kill a baby because of the prophecy. This King
Herodes behaviour is deeply rooted in the common sense of our culture as
extremly abhorrent.

nkafkafi wrote:
> "But surely Voldemort didn't want Dumbledore to be told that Voldemort
> knows about the prophecy, that he knows only the first half of it, and
> what is the specific family he chose to attack! If Voldemort ever find
> out Snape told this to Dumbledore it *would* be the end of Snape's
> career as a DE.

Miles:
Erm, obviously LV knew that the Potter's were warned. First, they lived
under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, which is very unusual, and
second James cried "He is coming" (quoted from memory) when he came into
their house. So LV *knew* that the Potter's weren't surprised that LV was
after them.

nkafkafi wrote:
> And the
> Wormtail's betrayal plot and the mysteriously rebounding AK explain
> why Voldemort has never suspected that Snape told Dumbledore about the
> imminent attack on the Potters."

Miles:
I do not understand why this is an argument.

nkafkafi wrote:
> "Hmm, when you put it like that..." said Neri. "But there *are* Snape
> mysteries that LID doesn't explain."
> "Only those mysteries that ESE, DDM and OFH don't explain either. For
> example, why did he undertake the Unbreakable Vow."

Miles:
Erm, DDM!Snape explains it. Snape tried to find out the mission of Draco to
be able to report it to Dumbledore. The Vow was not planned, but he just
couldn't refuse it without giving up his cover. And both OFH and ESE don't
have problems with the Vow, either.

nkafkafi wrote:
> But a Life Debt to Harry would give
> Dumbledore a true reason to trust Snape without making Harry incorrect
> about Snape killing Dumbledore. LID!Snape would thus enable both
> Dumbledore and Harry to come out mostly right (but also slightly in
> the wrong) in the end."

Miles:
Dumbledore told Harry about the Life debt. Some other people knew of it as
well, e.g. Remus. But Dumbledore always refused to reveal his reason for
trusting Snape to anyone (as far as we know). So, why tell everyone the
reason and refuse to tell it the same time? I think LID!Snape stands on feet
of clay here *looking for a hammer*.

The Life Debt question is important for the story, I have no doubt. We can
explain a lot with it, and it is closely connected with the
Marauder's-Snape-background underlying the whole story of Harry Potter. And
there will be several new parts of this story and this time in the final
book. But LID!Snape as a master key for the character of Snape - no, not
really.

Miles