Snape and Prophecy and Harry WAS:Re: TBAY: Definitely NOT a Snape Theory (lo

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 145503

Alla: 
> Oh, you said the "key words",actually. :-) Harry has a RIGHT to be 
> angry with him. That is all I am asking for, because I very very 
> strongly disagreed with Pippin's argument about Harry's
> selfishness in blaming Snape for part in his parents' deaths, even 
> though Snape IMO undoubtedly played a part in Potters' deaths. I 
> am arguing that Harry's anger was a righteous anger and DESERVED
> anger. It is just IMO Snape's guilt in many things are in the eyes 
> of the beholder, but Snape's guilt in Potter's deaths is IMO a 
> fact.

Jen: I understand what you are saying here, Alla. The 'waves of 
shock' Harry felt when Trelawney spilled the beans on Snape's 
eavesdropping reminded me strongly of the moment he learned of 
Sirius' 'betrayl' of the Potters. And Sirius spent 12 years in 
Azkaban paying for a mistake he made with the best of intentions, 
while Snape was apparently taken under Dumbledore's generous wing 
after choosing to do something which was ethically wrong. Regardless 
of whether Snape knew who Voldemort would target, he was serving 
some family on a platter to Voldemort and appeared to understand 
that. 

If everything happened like Dumbledore laid it out in HBP, I'm a bit 
bothered about Dumbledore's explanation that Snape made a 'terrible 
mistake'.  Snape's actions and Sirius' actions aren't equal to me 
because of the intentions behind them. Saying Snape made a mistake 
is saying he had no clue what Voldemort was capable of, and that 
seems an insult to his intelligence if nothing else. No one who has 
spent time with Voldemort would expect him to take a 'wait and see' 
approach to the prophecy. That's not in his psychological make-up 
and both Snape and Dumbledore know that. I guess you could say 
Sirius should have known Voldemort would target Peter as the weak 
link in the chain, but they aren't on the same scale to me. Besides 
the fact Sirius wasn't working for Voldemort, making a mistake in 
the act of trying to protect and making a mistake in the act of 
trying to harm are two different kinds of mistakes.

To switch gears, in my mind there *are* extenuating circumstances, 
but they're merely speculation. I expect Snape did attempt to save 
the Potters after delivering the prophecy. I believe his remorse was 
real for whatever yet-to-be-revealed reason. But I do understand why 
you feel the way you do, Alla. All these things may have happened 
and these feelings been felt, but none of that was told to Harry by 
Snape himself. Dumbledore continues to run interference for Snape 
with Harry, attempting to make Snape more palatable in Harry's eyes, 
it seems, while Snape does nothing to make himself more palatable. 

Finding out about Snape was difficult for me after Sirius. I 
expected he was the eavesdropper b/c it fit so well, but didn't 
really think of the implications. It's hard not to think Snape got 
one helluva deal compared to Sirius, and their actions were *not* 
comparable in my mind. I start feeling the urge to snarl like boy-
Riddle when I read Dumbledore's explanation of Snape's 
remorse: "Prove it!" But, sigh, that's probabably the point. Harry 
is saved by his love from being closed-hearted and full of hatred 
like Snape. He may feel the need for vengeance right now, but 
something will change his course. Reading POA to my son, I was 
struck by the flashbacks of Lily saying to Voldemort: 'have mercy, 
have mercy'...gah, it pulled at my heartstrings. Voldemort doesn't 
even know what that word means, and Harry knows only too well. It 
won't take much for Harry to see Snape with new eyes like his mom 
would. They both understand the meaning of mercy.

Jen, trying to throw off her befuddlement after too many excellent 
feasts and starting a new job to boot.