Snape's "saving" of Harry--was Re: Hard time for Snape?

[juli17ptf]

No: HPFGUIDX 140022


> 
> > zgirnius:
> > I think Julie is trying here to point out that if Snape has come 
to 
> > consider his work with Dumbledore burdensome by PS/SS, he could
> have 
> > just done nothing to save Harry. Allowing Harry to be killed by 
> > Quirrell would be something he could "get away" with. Of course 
if 
> > we are supposing a truly remorseful Snape who wants to make up 
for 
> > his past crimes, this would not be something he could consider...


Julie says:
That is what I meant. Snape could have allowed Harry to be killed by 
Quirrell. And that's not the opportunity Snape let pass. For instance 
he could also have delayed (for real) informing the Order about Harry 
being at the DoM, or even said nothing at all. Only Harry knows about 
the Padfoot clue he shouted to Snape, so Snape could have once again 
rid himself of Harry, and thus any related obligations, while 
feigning innocence. 



Sandy:
> 
> Do we still think that Snape saved (or truly thought he was saving)
> Harry's life in PS/SS? Didn't Dumbledore slow Harry's fall from his
> broom in PoA? (So we know there's such a spell.)
> 
> Actually, I have always had a very hard time believing that Hogwarts
> allows Quidditch matches with children as young as twelve (eleven in
> Harry's exceptional case) flying high in the sky without having a
> staff member (Madame Hooch, maybe--'though Neville did get 
thoroughly
> banged up under her tutelage in flying class) assigned to cast a
> "slow-fall" spell as needed. Then again, Quidditch *practice*
> apparently goes on without benefit of any sort of magical net.
> 
> On yet another hand, there has also been discussion about how much
> tougher (or at least less concerned with physical damage) wizards 
seem
> than Muggles (as demonstrated by Neville's uncle's impulse to fling
> his nephew out the window and said nephew's subsequent bouncing),
> possibly due to how how magic seems able to mend things Muggle 
medics
> can't. In light of all this, I just don't place a very high value on
> Snape's countercurse anymore. So I'm long-windedly agreeing with 
Alla
> (Snape's actions were nothing very special), and adding: it no 
longer
> seems nearly as likely to me that the fall would have been fatal in
> lieu of Snape's intervention, anyway.
> 
> JMO (ahem),
> Sandy aka msbeadsley

Julie says:
I don't know how much jeopardy Harry was actually in, but if I have 
to make a guess, I'd go with what's implied in the books. Hermoine 
certainly seemed to think Harry's life was in danger, and Quirrell 
seemed to believe he could kill Harry by knocking him off the broom. 
In any case, Snape didn't have to interfere at all. But he did, 
whether it saved Harry from death or merely a serious but fixable 
injury. 

And this is my biggest problem with ESE!Snape. Why has he bothered to 
hide his *true* colors so many times when it wasn't necessary at all? 
Why help Harry in SS/PS, or in OotP, when he could have sat back and 
let events take their course? And why take Sirius and Harry back to 
Hogwarts on stretchers in POA? He could have just left them there, or-
-especially in the case of his hated enemy Sirius--delivered a quick, 
fatal spell and been done with it. I'm sure he's a gifted enough 
wizard to do it and leave no one the wiser. Why not get rid of 
Dumbledore at the beginning of HPB, when DD is completely at his 
mercy from the ring horcrux curse? 

Even the smaller things he does seem suspect. Why not give Umbridge 
the veritaserum to use on Harry? Why not inflict a curse on that 
insufferable know-it-all Hermoine on his way to the Tower? Why not 
crucio Harry a bit, or allow the other DEs to have a bit of fun? Why 
does he keep doing these "right" things, and avoid doing the "easy" 
(and presumably more satisfying) things? Especially when no one is 
watching and he's free to fully indulge his evil nature, or once he's 
revealed himself as ESE and killed Dumbledore? Could it be because he 
*is* remorseful about his past crimes, because he does have his own 
internal moral code--flawed though it may be--and because he is 
determined to carry through with whatever promise he made to DD 
and/or himself and thus earn his redemption? 

Maybe, maybe not, but to me it still makes more sense than ESE!Snape, 
playing along until he gets his opportunity, yet too stupid to see 
the dozen opportunities that have stared him in the face. 


Julie