TBAY: ...NOT a Snape Theory - NO Debt Repayment

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 145515

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> wrote:
>
> ...edited...
> 
> "This snippet directly taken from canon, you mean?  Everyone knows 
> Snape repaid his debt to James by safeguarding Harry in PS. You 
> heard Dumbledore, Snape worked to repay his debt so he could go back 
> to hating James' memory in peace. It's all in there, ...edited...
> 
> Jen
>

bboyminn:

Just one small point here, although it does support LID!Snape, it
should not be taken as an endorsement of said non-theory.

Snape didn't save Harry in PS/SS, so he couldn't have paid his Life
Debt. True Snape was muttering counter jinxess to prevents Harry from
being bucked off of his broom. However, we are only supposing that the
fall would have killed him, and that other means would not have
occurred to cushion his fall, as we see happen in PoA. So, while there
was a potential for serious injury, death was not a give; a
possibility, yes, but not a given. Further, it was Hermione who
actually saved Harry by knocking Quirrel over and thereby breaking his
eye contact and stopping the broom jinx. 

So, Snape tried to save Harry but didn't succeed. The same is true of
his efforts in PoA. We assume that Snape logically assumed Harry was
in danger, when in actuality Harry was not. Further, Snape had
tremendous motivation for revenge in capturing Sirius, and had no
trouble extending that revenge to Lupin. We can hardly say his
motivation was pure under the circumstances. And, of course, Snape
once again failed to save Harry. In fact, it is Harry (plus Hermione
and Ron) who stops Snape's alleged attempt to rescue Harry.

So, while Snape has indeed attempted to honor his Life Debt to James,
he has failed every time. Snape has never saved Harry's life. He has
tried, but never succeeded, so the Life Debt is very much in force. 

Next, Life_InDebted!Snape is based on a few assumptions whether you
want to accept it or not. It assumes how the Life Debt works. Maybe
'Life Debt' is not a magical imperative but a moral one or even a
social one. That doesn't mean 'magic at its deepest' can't be
involved, but so far we have no evidence that Life Debt creates an
irresistable magical compulsion to act in some specific way. It is
entirely possible that the Life Debt can be completely ignore with no
consequences beyond a guilty conscience. I'm not saying that is
specifically true, only that we don't know the nature, actions, and
consequences of a Life Debt. 

In fact, exactly what creates a Life Debt is a little grey. For
example, JKR said in an interview that Ginny did NOT incure a Life
Debt to Harry for his rescue of her from the Chamber of Secrets. That
would imply that it is not simply a matter of saving another wizard.
The action has to be direct, clear, and unambiguos and which saves a
person from imminent, direct, and indisputable death.

Another example that illustrates this fine distinction is that while
James gave his life protecting Harry, his sacrifice didn't count in
the same way that Lily's did. Lily's actions was far more direct and
immediate. 

So, I say that Snape's Life Debt to James is still in effect. Snape
has never 'saved' Harry's life. 

Further, we don't know the exact nature and mechanism of the Life
Debt. Any Life Debt theories or non-theories are based in an
assumption of how Life Debt works.

Not trying to throw a spanner into the works...but I am.

Steve/bboyminn