Snape as DE (was: James, a paragon of virtue? Was: Why Do You Like Sirius?

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 123678


>>Betsy:
<snip>
>Actually, the fact that he overcame years of training and prejudice 
to choose the right side is one of the main reasons I admire him.  To 
take away, or whitewash Snape's past as a Death Eater is to lessen 
the strength of his character, IMO.<

>>Valky:
>Just curiously, Betsy. Don't you think that whitewashing, Snapes 
past as a DE isn't exactly what will be achieved by canon stating 
that James' and Sirius' mistreatment of him at Hogwarts, forced his 
hand into deciding to do it? Just that *I* can only see you 
contradicting yourself here, unless you explain more thoroughly how 
you see otherwise, sorry.<

Betsy:
Mmm. Really good question, Valky.  I don't think James' and Sirius' 
behavior *forced* Snape to become a Death Eater.  Canon tells us that 
Snape came to Hogwarts already trained in Dark Arts, which shows that 
his family upbringing had philosophical similarities with Voldemort.  
Canon also suggests that Snape was taken under Lucius Malfoy's wing 
at some point while at Hogwarts, so Snape was already of interest to 
an older student that we know became one of Voldemort's soldiers.

However, canon also suggests that Snape is reasonably intelligent and 
can think things through for himself (his suspicions of Harry are 
generally fairly accurate).  And Snape was sorted into Slytherin, 
which suggests that he's not predisposed to following someone blindly.

So, my theory (though not clearly backed by canon, I will admit) is 
that one of the reasons this particular memory has such emotional 
resonance with Snape is because he had been considering becoming a 
Death Eater, and this incident pushed him over the edge.

James and Sirius weren't *the* reason Snape became a Death Eater, but 
they were a factor.  They were the other side, and they certainly 
made it clear that Snape would never be one of them.  If the 
Mauraders had behaved differently, would Snape have not taken the 
path he did?  I hope it wasn't that simple.  I think Snape is too 
deep a thinker to be so easily influenced.  But their behavior was a 
factor, and one that Snape remembers.  (Though I don't think Snape 
blames them for his choices.  I don't see any canon that supports 
that idea.)

Betsy