Pettigrew's life debt

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 125645




Molley wrote (snipped):
> So . . .what *is* the consequence to not honoring a life debt?
>
> Snow replied:
> Whole different story here! As in Peter's case, he has yet to
repay his debt but he did buy some time in order to accomplish it,
I think. The consequences to not repaying the debt must be severe
because it is magically binding.
<snip>

Hannah weighing in: I've never liked the idea of a 'life debt'
being some sort of magical contract that forces those who owe them
to repay them. For one thing, it turns an initial act of heroism
into something rather more sinister. You could deliberately put
someone's life in danger, so that you could save them and thus force
them to owe you something (please, please don't let that be the case
with the Prank...)

As far as I can see, there is no evidence in canon that a 'life
debt' is actually a binding magical contract. Nor is there any that
it isn't, of course. But I see Snape's determination to repay what
he perceives that he owes James as more to doing with Snape's own
character and (admittedly somewhat twisted) strong sense of honour.

Snow:

It is not called a binding magical contract but from the way 
Dumbledore describes it, this interpretation doesn't seem too far off:

"Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who 
is in your debt
 When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it 
creates a certain bond between them
"
"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry." POA 
U.S. pg. 427

The life debt is a deeply impenetrable magical bond between two 
wizards. This doesn't leave too much leeway for choices to be an 
option. 

Hannah snipped:

I think that Snape *has* repaid his life debt to James, if you want
to see it as a binding contract. James saved Snape once. Snape
saved Harry once. Seems fair to me. The way that Snape has
continued to look out for Harry suggests to me that he is not
motivated by 'life debt' alone, or if he is, that it is because he
personally can't feel satisfied that he has fulfilled it, not
because of some sort of magical rules. He wants to go one better
than Potter, or two better, or... I mean, he's saved Harry a few
times now.

Just my (highly biased in favour of Snape) opinion

Snow: 

We've never truly been told whether or not Snape had repaid his debt 
to James but it had been skirted in SS pg. 300

"
Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape 
couldn't bear being in your father's debt
I do believe he worked so 
hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and 
your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's 
memory in peace
"

>From this quote it appears that the debt to James was left 
unresolved, but who knows. Then again, Snape's debt may have been 
repaid but Snape didn't feel worthy of the repayment because James 
died. Snape's attempt at repayment did not actually save James and 
may have left Snape to feel there was no closure as a result and 
still felt honor bound to Harry. 

We have never been told what constitutes repayment of a life debt 
only that the person owes their life to the other one. Again, choice 
doesn't seem to be much of an option. Another question is what 
consequences are there for the person who does not abide by the life 
debt. Lots of questions surrounding the life debt circumstance and 
very few answers in five books, this leaves me to believe that there 
must be something significant about the life debt to the plot of the 
story. 

As far as being in favor of Snape and his intentions, I'm still left 
a bit confused. I believe that Snape is on Dumbledore's side 
wholeheartedly but still question why he made the decision to switch 
sides in the first place, was it a choice on Snape's part or was he 
forced to because of his life debt to James? 

Snow