strange morals (was: Snape's Remorse vs. Snape's Worst Memory)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 139737

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Fabian Peng Kärrholm
<fabian.peng-
karrholm at c...> wrote:
> ><snip>
> >  
> >
> kiricat4001:
> 
> >"You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he 
> >realised how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I 
> >believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason he 
> >returned-" 
> >end quote
> >  
> >
> <snip>
>  
> I always thought this quote was quite interesting. I'm not sure
what it  means really. How on earth would Snape expect Voldemort 
to act on the  prophecy? Invite the parents for tea?

Pippin:
When Quirrell looked in the Mirror of Erised, he didn't see all the
death and suffering that would stem from Voldemort's return. He only 
saw himself handing the Stone to his master. 

We know, from Draco and Lupin, that what Snape really wants is 
recognition. I believe he was  thinking of the reward he would 
receive, being raised to most favored Death Eater, above the
purebloods he  envied so, far more than what Voldemort would
do with the information itself.

We do more harm by indifference, as Dumbledore said in OOP, 
than we do by intent.

Fabian:
>  What is said after the quote is also a bit strange. Because it
seems that Dumbledore more or less states that it would be ok if 
Voldemort had  murdered someone Snape didn't know. Yes it hurts 
more when someone you  know is murdered, but to assist in such a 
way to any murder is awful. At least that's the way I interpreted it
when I read it.


Pippin:
I think Dumbledore is drawing a parallel with himself here. He tells 
Harry in OOP that he knew that if he didn't tell Harry about the
prophecy, innocent people might die. But they were nameless and 
faceless and he didn't care about them. It wasn't until one of them 
turned out to be Sirius that he realized how much harm he'd done.

He wasn't saying that it would be okay if Snape hadn't known who 
those people were, quite the opposite. He's simply commenting on 
the failure of imagination that makes it so easy, even for a man as 
good as Dumbledore, not to consider the consequences of his 
actions.

Pippin