Was the eavesdropper unimportant to Harry? WAS: Re: Snape again

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 146998

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...>
wrote:

<massive snip>

> Or do his parents' deaths become more real and painful to Harry when 
> they're linked to people who knew them at Hogwarts rather than to the 
> snake-faced monster for whom they had no human identity? But if that's 
> so, why not hate Wormtail, too?

Because Wormtail's not *there*.  Because to everyone who Harry knows
and cares about, Wormtail is *known to be guilty* and will be dealt
with if he's caught.  Peter is off-stage and servile and chained.  But
from Harry's POV, Snape is now known to bear responsibility that Harry
had never known that Snape had, but there's been no revelation to
Harry that a significant price has been paid for it.

Harry is unconvinced by Dumbledore's explanation of Snape's remorse
over the Potters, but that's no shock because at least half the list
is sure that can't be it either.  For Dumbledore, there's something
else there--but Harry doesn't know what, so it might as well not
exist.  Remorse that someone doesn't show to an affected person is
generally not considered remorse, after all.

-Nora has some thoughts about statements of time regarding Snape's
turning back to the white hats, but will look up citations and post later