Life-debt questions Was (Re: What is the use of Ch2 "Spinners End"?)

[saraquel_omphale]

No: HPFGUIDX 133988

>Hannah: Oh, JKR is always playing with us! As to what purpose the
>chapter served, it gave us an insight into why Snape was allowed
>back into the fold of Death Eaters, something many had wondered.
>Indeed, not all fans were even convinced that he had returned to
>spy - there has been no unbiased canon evidence of that up to now.

Saraquel: 
Kathryn and Tonks, in messaes 850 and 854 said a lot of what I think 
about why we had that chapter, but I also want to add another angle:

It gave us Snape's version of why Dumbledore allowed him back into 
the fold, which matches the version that we have been told before 
(sorry can't remember where or who said it, but wasn't that the 
reason generally accepted by the Order in previous books, I felt 
no, `Oh that's why' when DD told Harry. I really hate not being able 
to give the cannon reference.) We do not necessarily know whether 
this was in fact the real reason.  All we know is that this is the 
version of events which Snape is telling the two sisters. 

I'm a, Snape-is-a-nasty-evil-man, person, although it has taken 
until now for me to let go of the strange fondness that I have had 
for him.  JKR said in one of her interviews (again, sorry no 
reference) that she enjoyed writing about Snape, but does not like 
Snape as a character.  I feel much the same, I love reading about 
Snape because he is such a compelling character, but actually he 
embodies pretty much what I fear most about people – twisted mind 
with the power to do something about it.

There is sometimes a tendency to write things in black and white on 
the list, the Snape is evil, Snape is good arguments.  Whatever 
Snape does in the next book, he has already done evil things – there 
is no question about that.  Even if, he redeems himself in some way 
in book 7, his actions to date have had repercussions on others 
which have influenced the negative side of their characters (Draco) 
or caused them real distress (Harry, Neville and most of the rest of 
the school) which will have lasting repercussions.  It seems to me 
that to use the word Good about Snape, in any context, is a 
misnomer.  Whatever side (good or bad) he chooses to be on, he is 
not a good person.

After getting that off my chest, I want to explore a bit further the 
implications of the Snape's-version-of-events assertion.  This is 
how DD finally tells Harry why he trusts Snape.

UK Ed Ch25 p 512
"But he did not know – he had no possible way of knowing – which boy 
Voldemort would hunt from then onwards, or that the parents he would 
destroy in his murderous quest were people that Professor Snape 
knew, that they were your mother and father –"

and then on p513
Harry asks – "
 how can you be sure Snape's on our side?" Dumbledore 
did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to 
make up his mind about something.  At last he said, "I am sure. I 
trust Severus Snape completely."

Now why would Snape be so contrite about Voldemort going after James 
and Lily.  Grist to the mill of the Snape/Lily shippers – the jury 
is out on that one for me; I never thought it possible until this 
book, but the Lily being a wow at potions gives it some 
credibility.   Or, there is a VERY BIG problem for Snape if he 
becomes the instrument responsible for the death of the man who 
saved his life and to whom he has a life-debt, which I personally 
think is more likely.  (It might be both)

We don't yet know what the implications of a life-debt are, and what 
happens if this debt is abused (for want of a better word).  If 
Voldemort killed James, Snape could have been in a life threatening 
situation, or worse, a situation of having to live in some sort of 
perpetual torment.  So maybe he went to Dumbledore to try and 
prevent James death and in doing so, avert that fate.  In other 
words, he went for totally selfish, not altruistic reasons. (I 
previously posted a really speculative theory, that what DD talks 
about after taking the potion in the cave is his memory of Snape's 
remorse – for those interested it's message 133414). Was it enough 
to let Snape off the hook, just to go to DD and warn him, or was 
something else necessary: One speculation is that part of the 
releasing himself from the punishment Snape would get if James was 
killed, was to transfer that life debt to Harry – although Harry 
would then have two DEs who owe him, sounds like overkill, but 
thinking about what Harry is going to have to face, he's going to 
need it.  This might also explain Snape's famous DADA "lesson" to 
Harry as he disappears over the horizon after AKing DD. Or maybe he 
swore some sort of unbreakable vow, but the problem with that is the 
3rd person needed aspect.

Dumbledore is not stupid.  What is he thinking over in answer to 
Harry's question? Obviously he is reassessing the situation, but is 
he also wondering whether to tell Harry about life-debts? I'm not 
sure. Dumbledore has employed a man for many years whom he knows 
treats students with cruelty and disrespect (I don't believe he 
could be ignorant of this fact) and yet he trusts him completely and 
still allows him to teach.  There is something more going on here. 

Why did DD finally make Snape the DADA teacher when he knows (he 
tells Harry at the end of Ch20 p 418) that the job is jinxed and he 
has never before wanted Snape near the Dark Arts? Well my guess is 
that he finally really started to trust Snape when Snape saved his 
life after DD destroyed the Ring Horcrux, but it could also imply, 
that both he and Snape knew that by the end of that year, Snape 
would probably have to kill DD in order to preserve Draco (thanks 
for all the posts on that topic, it wasn't something that I had 
cottoned onto before).  I'm still not sure about the DDs-death-is-a-
Snape-and-DD-conspiracy, theory, but it would add more to plot 
twists later. 

Bringing all this back to Spinners End, Snape would not want LV and 
the Death Eaters to know that there is a compelling reason why he is 
still working at Hogwarts and DD trusts him.  Because, they would 
then know that DD has some sort of hold over him. The whole thing 
with the James and Snape and Sirius thing was hushed up, so no-one 
really knows about it.  Which brings me to a last little point that 
I'll slip in here – Sanpes's last detention for Harry, the 
punishment register.  I was fully expecting at that point for Harry 
to come across information about the whole James-saved-Snape's-life 
adventure.  Maybe that's for book 7.  But I think how DD handled 
that one could be VERY significant. 


Saraquel