Snape vs Wormtail - Life Debt

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 140607

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "esmith222002" <c.john at i...> 
wrote:
> I had taken a sabbatical from the Snape Good/Evil debate for the 
last 
> month or so as the two sides had argued themselves to a standstill.
> 
> However, I return ready to face Alla and friends with some new 
> evidence to suggest Snape is fighting for good.


Alla:

MAHAHAHA! You got tired way too soon, I have to say. Oh maybe I am 
way too wierd, since pretty much everybody who started doing those 
Snape sessions with me IS tired of them by now and I am still not, 
well for the most part anyway. :-)

Anyways, I did miss you. So, welcome back. 


Brothergib: 
<snips examples of  Snape and Peter actions as to Life debt)
> So it appears that someone can CHOOSE to ignore a life debt, as 
> Pettigrew does. The deep magic that DD talked about does NOT 
> automatically prevent an individual under a life debt from causing 
> harm to the object of the life debt.

Alla:

Is it clear though that someone can choose to ignore Life debt? We 
have Peter in GoF drawing blood from Harry, true, but we also have 
Peter asking Voldie to use someone else other than Harry.

Granted, he is not very ... persistent, in protecting Harry, should I 
say, BUT he tries, sort of, so I think it is plausible to assume that 
some sort of actions may follow if you don't honor the Life debt. 
Those actions may not be automatic - as if you fail to protect the 
person, you die,  but some sort of consequences may still follow, IMO.

Besides, JKR hinted rather heavily that Peter's life debt WILL come 
back into play later, so maybe he did not ignore it yet?


Brothergib: 
> If we consider Snape's actions. Firstly his life debt was not owed 
to 
> Harry, it was owed to James. And secondly it is quite apparent that 
> Snape could have chosen to ignore this debt. However, he did not. 
> Despite his obvious loathing of James + Harry, he felt honour bound 
> to protect Harry. He does the honourable thing!!


Alla:

This is one of the interpretations - that he does the honorable 
thing, the one I sort of shared  prior to OOP.

Another one would be that his life debt get transferred to Harry ( 
someone put nice theory about it) and he IS obligated to protect 
harry or  something will happen to him. :-)


Brothergib:
> If we also consider Snape & DD in HBP, DD ends their conversation 
> with the fact that Snape had given his word. Honourable people will 
> always place great importance on carrying out any 
> promises/commitments they have made.


Alla:

Sure, honourable people do exactly that. It is just that to me 
whether Snape IS an honourable person is open to very wide 
interpretation. :-)


JMO,

Alla